


Hidden

by cabbaj



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, wildehopps
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-11-23 19:49:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 115,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11409021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cabbaj/pseuds/cabbaj
Summary: Zootopia AU. As peachy as life seems, there are things we rather like to keep hidden. As Skye is abducted by foreign forces, Jack does everything he can to save her. Nick unveils a dark secret and Judy is dragged along. Can Nick and his friends overcome a dark menacing force, while remaining sane? Rated T for violence & language. Eventual WildeHopps





	1. Hidden

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Well, here it is. I had this story in my head for some time and decided, to completely disregard my sleep and start writing at 2am. All I can say is that this is my first fan fiction I have ever written, and want to apologize for future mistakes and errors. I'm German and my English might not be the best, so please understand. 
> 
> Also, chapter's will get longer!
> 
> Without further ado, let's get started!
> 
> PS.: Zootopia and its characters belong to Disney.

_"Samaritan, Samaritan, help me please_

_Samaritan, Samaritan, be good to me."_

_-Fatimah Warner_

A swift hand move and the door was locked, securing all of his tailored suits and expensive fabric. Taking a few steps down onto the street, he looked back up at his precious little store.

"Wilde & Sons" was put in a relatively big banner above the glass doors on the corner of Downtown Zootopia. The worn down wood and the stained glass gave the store a rough yet charming look. Dark red bricks and smoky oak wood being tarnished by graffiti and other obscenities, the sidewalks pestered by weeds and dirt, and the air filled with scents from the nearby dumpsters and smoking neighbors above the store.

Admittedly, it wasn't the best part of Downtown, but you wouldn't see Nick complaining.

He loved his store, his work, heck, he even loved this part of town.

While it remained crime-ridden and a rough place to live, like his store it possessed a rough-ish charm. No one could deny the hospitality of the mammals living here towards one another. If you treated someone with respect and love, you can expect the same. Eye for an eye and so on. That is why Nick is so content with his place living on the outskirts of Downtown. He grew up in this place and so did his parents, who left him this very same store, among other things, after their deaths. It wasn't by any standards much, but it was all the same enough.

He didn't really know his parents, he had lost them quite early and from the age of twelve he was pretty much on his own. Handling the business, attending school, and making ends meet. It wasn't an easy life for a child, but what choice did he have.

But content or not, Nick couldn't leave his beloved store unattended, so after spending a day working, he locked his store up and proceeded to go home and get his well earned rest.

It felt good to make his own money, he thought while strolling through the neighborhood. His apartment wasn't too far away, just a couple blocks. But it gave him time to think and stretch his legs after sitting all day sewing clothes. Sure, Nick could have made way more money by turning to the shadier parts of the town, dealing with knick-knacks, some more or less legal, and he could have had way more action than to just sit all day and cutting around fabric, but he very much liked his freedom. Police activity was all over the place, making it especially in this part of town very difficult to execute any illegal dealings, not that he would try it. His business was going pretty well, he had his frequent customers and had a steady income, and he wouldn't have it any other way. He wasn't rich by any standards, but he survived and that was enough.

While his legs took him home by autopilot, Nick didn't pay attention to where he was walking, and neither did his counterpart, who was walking in the opposite direction, bumping into his shoulder and stopping him dead in his tracks.

"What the.." Nick was prepared to tell that jerk off to watch where he was going, until he looked into vivid sapphire eyes. After regaining his composure, he relaxed at the familiar sight and greeted the arctic vixen.

"Skye, what are you doing here?"

"Oh Nick! I'm so sorry, I was walking home from the soup kitchen and didn't see you there. I was thinking, y'know, and.. you know me, my head is always all over the place and.." she started rambling and stuttering, apologizing profusely. Her blue eyes were slightly widened and her ears flat on her head, tail bristled and hands placating in front of her.

Nick could only smirk. He has known Skye for quite a while now, befriending her in high school, and knew how easily startled she was. While having a pure heart, she had nerves of threads.

As fellow foxes, they got along fairly quickly. Both of them had to come very early to realize that their species wasn't seen as the most prestigious in Zootopia. Through bullying and fights, they learned quickly, that as foxes, you had two choices. Give into society's expectations and become brute criminals or conniving scoundrels, or set your own expectations and defy stereotypes. Both of them chose the latter.

While Nick opened his own business, Skye had her own diner and volunteered all over the city to help where her help was accepted, may it be soup kitchens or baby sitting. It seemed like both of them were alone against the world, and so they quickly grew fond of each other. Nick appreciated Skye's friendship very much, and would go as far as to say, that she was his sister, while Nick's support and encouragement were invaluable for Skye's development, and it turned her into the beautiful and kind vixen she was today.

Skye had always been a kind soul, defying all the evil that has been thrown in her way and emitting a bright era about her, that just brought her friends to smile, just like Nick now did.

"Don't lose your head, Skye. It's alright." He places a paw on the shoulder to calm her nerves. She quickly relaxed on his contact and smiles thankfully.

"Well, it seems you're also heading home. Had a good day?" she asked curiously, while clutching her purse close to her body. This neighborhood was prone to pick pocketing and she wasn't taking any chances, charm or not.

"I guess. You know how it is. I would go as far and say it was pretty.. suitable" he answered and put on his best smirk.

Skye just groaned exasperated from his terrible pun, but her smile showed that she enjoyed his humor nonetheless and appreciated how Nick tried to diffuse her nervousness with some levity.

"Anyways, how's Stripes? I haven't seen any of you guys for quite a while. Speaking of, you should come by some time, we could have dinner, catching up on news and stuff" Nick asked after a short while. It was true, he hadn't seen his friends for a couple weeks by now and was eager to know what they were up to.

"He's doing great, I guess being an accountant really suits him well. No pun intended" she added quickly after seeing Nick opening his mouth to retort with another pun.

"It would be nice to meet up some time, I'm sure Jack would love it."

"Great" he exclaimed and put his paws into his pocket. "I guess I'll see you guys then. Tomorrow around 7 sound good?"

"7 sounds awesome" she smiled back.

After giving a lazy mock salute, Nick sidestepped around Skye and continued his walk home, while Skye stayed behind and watched him go. She looked forward to a neat little dinner with his old friend, finding out about what he was up to. She knew how uptight Nick could be about his private life and how he avoided talking about it. With her and Jack though, he could let loose and truly be himself, which he really only did with them. With all of Nick's acquaintances he held a friendly, sometimes sarcastic and annoying, yet professional relationship, not wanting to intrude into their private lives and vice versa. But with Skye and Jack, Nick truly could be 'Nick', the sensitive and thoughtful fox he was.

While Skye was reminiscing about old times, she almost didn't hear the faint clutter of something inside the alley beside her. From where she stood, she couldn't see about a yard into the dark alley, merely illuminated by a flickering lantern on the brickwall. Squinting her eyes, she could barely make out the faint outlines of some dumpsters and random crates and boxes, but there was something else. Something black. And it was moving.

Suddenly the air became colder, the wind took up a pace and ran a shiver down her spine. She didn't notice it before, but it was eerily quiet. All sounds, from cars in the distance or the muffled banter of the neighbors from the open windows were gone. All she could hear, was the flickering light, and the soft grunting of whatever was behind that dumpster.

Maybe they are injured, she thought, and assumed it was a homeless mammal, sitting out in the cold behind a dirty dumpster, reeking of weeks old junk and food.

The samaritan inside of Skye eventually took over and she slowly stepped into the dark alley, determined to help the poor mammal.

"Hello?" she called out softly, not wanting to scare them away. "Are you alright? Do you need help?"

The grunting continued and the mammal behind the dumpster started to shift around, yet they didn't answer. From the flickering light and the dim moon she could make out the shape of a canine, maybe a wolf if the size was anything to go by. But what really made Skye stop dead in her tracks, was the lack of any features.

She didn't see any fur, or skin for that matter. All she saw was black. Despite the faint light, there was only black.

A small voice inside screamed at her to retreat and make a run for it, but the bigger part of her just couldn't leave a mammal in need behind, so she slowly shuffled further into the alley and around the dumpster.

The more she moved the more she could make out of the mystery mammal. The canine in front of her, now merely two feet away, had its back turned to her and was shifting around the dirty ground, apparently looking for something. She could make out the faint sounds of an animal sniffing, trying to find a scent. And apparently, it had found it.

With a speed she hadn't seen from another mammal before, the canine turned around and glowered at her, and her blood froze. Red, glowing orbs were glaring menacingly at her, the canine's body shifted into a lower position, ready to pounce on its prey.

Skye's heart was about to burst out of her chest and her hackles raised. Even though she had her fair share of bullies and violent jerks in her line of work, she never really feared them. But now, she could truly say; she was beyond terrified. Never was she ever afraid for her live, but the way this savage animal was striding towards her in such a fluid motion, as if it was floating, its teeth bared in a hungry snarl, ready to tear her limbs apart, she couldn't help it but to let out a whimper. A mistake, she realized.

Upon the sound of her, the canine made its move, and the last thing Skye saw on that evening, was the face of her husband, before all was black.


	2. The Hare & the Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Don't worry, you will see more of Skye, but as of yet, she's "gone".
> 
> PS: Zootopia and its characters belong to Disney.

_"Well, what about it?" snapped the wolf, baring his teeth as he spoke._

_"You can go about boasting that you once put your head into a wolf's mouth_

_and didn't get it bitten off. What more do you want?"_

_-Aesop, The Wolf and The Crane_

The only sound he could hear was the continuous chopping of the knife on the cutting board, as he was preparing dinner. His mother always had said that he had a cunning talent for cooking, and while he saw it as nothing special, he enjoyed cooking for his loved ones.

While not being a fan of meat, he was aware that Skye needed her nutrients as a predator. And since bugs didn't seem to fit her palette, he had to adapt to cooking poultry and fish, much to his dismay.

So here he was, standing on a wooden stool, so he could actually look over the counter and prepare their meal. Jack wasn't short by any means, even as a hare he was quite tall. But being married to a vixen had its disadvantages, being about a head shorter was one of them. But if he received his daily share and could spoil his wife with love, he was more than happy to take the handicap.

Chopping up the rest of the chicken breasts, he swiftly picked them up and tossed them into the boiling pot of curry, setting down the heat and letting it simmer for the next couple of minutes. He quickly glanced at the clock on the wall and read 8pm.

She should come home any minute now, he thought expectantly. Call him old-fashioned or clingy, but he actually looked forward every evening to greet his wife with already cooked dinner. She deserved so much more than that, but he tried any way he could, be it as something as insignificant as eating together.

Washing his paws from the oh so disgusting smell of the chicken, he thought about his marriage. Nine years have already passed, since he put on the wedding band on his finger and vowed to stay by Skye's side, and he wouldn't have it any other way. He met her at college, being the only arctic vixen at the Zootopia University she was quite hard to not notice, especially considering all the scrutiny she received. Of course as a hare, Jack had his fair share of bullying in the metropolis, being called cute or horny and patronized as a mascot were only a few of the things done to him. Back then he thought he understood what it meant to be discriminated against, to receive hate and be stereotyped. But after getting to know Skye, he learned a few things; discrimination isn't as black as it's white. Sure, he received patronizing looks and such, but never hate. Skye on the other paw, received straight out hate for being a predator, a fox nonetheless. Even though they were opposite on the spectrum, they quickly grew fond of each other. Skye with her open minded and kind hearted soul, and Jack with his passionate but patient demeanor.

Turning off the faucet he again glanced at the clock on the wall.

_8:36_

_She's late. That's weird, she's never late_ , Jack thought as he dried of his paws. He quickly reassured himself, that his wife is probably pushing overtime at the soup kitchen, as good-hearted as she was. Jack smirked at the thought of his wife. She really was something else.

Suddenly his train of thought was interrupted, as the lights in his small apartment went off.

"What the…" Jack mumbled to himself, as he looked frantically around.

Standing in the almost pitch black kitchen, only lit by the faint light of the moon, he could barely see the outlines of the kitchen island and the chairs. Carefully maneuvering through the room and towards the living room, he scrambled through a cabinet, until he found what he was looking for.

With an audible "Aha!" he pulls out a medium sized flashlight. It was slightly bigger for his species and quite bulky, but nonetheless functional. Turning it on, he lighted up the dark living room and looked around. The flat screen TV, the dark red couch and loveseat, the wooden floors, and the black tapestry; everything was where it was supposed to be. The only thing missing was light.

He moved towards the light switch at the other end of the small apartment and tried to turn on the light without success.

_Seems like the power is out_ , he thought. Shrugging to himself, he took his keys and the flashlight along and quickly left his apartment to descend down to the basement of his apartment building, looking for the junction box.

Just like the rest of the building, all was pitch black. As a prey animal, he naturally had problem seeing during the night, without help of artificial light, he would be completely helpless. But his 'ole reliable' flashlight led him safely around the maze underneath the ground. Winding through seemingly endless shelves and crates, he finally found the junction box. The air was stale and sticky, and while he couldn't really rely on any other senses, he could also hear the faint humming of cars passing by the building outside.

With a grunt Jack opened the junction box and looked for the right switch, so he could have power again. His mission suddenly was interrupted, as he heard a rather loud ruckus from the back of the basement. He quickly spun around on his heels, his flashlight and his eyes looking for the cause of the sound. It sounded like something was tossed over.

"Hello?" he called out. "Is someone there?"

He almost expected on of his neighbors calling out, telling him, that they were just as him looking for the junction box. But the response never came. Instead the only thing he could hear was some grunting.

_What the hell?_

Deciding to get to the bottom of the sound, he perked his ears and followed the sounds. After some turns around the tall steel shelves, packed with gizmos and other junk, he came to a stop at a dead end. The grunting was louder now. Swallowing a lump in his throat he decided to expose the source. Slowly shining his light on the end of the aisle, he saw…

..Nothing.

"Huh" he exhaled. Chuckling to himself he thought how ridiculous he was for all the fantasies he thought of while inching closer to the sound. What did he expect? A burglar? A monster? The devil?

He shook his head and proceeded to return to the junction box. But as he swiveled his light cone back towards where he came from, he almost dropped his flashlight and stopped dead in his tracks.

Right there in front of him, there it stood. The "monster" he was looking for. A savage wolf, its saliva dripping from its bared teeth. Its red glowing eyes boring themselves into Jack's mind, as he stared at the sudden visitor. Jack didn't know where it came from, or how it got here without making a single sound, except for a grunt, which came from the whole opposite direction! Upon closer inspection he saw, that the wolf was completely black. Very faint he could see some strands of "fur" standing off from the black body, but it wasn't fur. Fur would've cast a shadow. This wolf didn't cast a shadow. It seemed more like, _it was the shadow._

_What is happening? What the hell is this thing?_ Jack thought, as cold sweat ran down his forehead. He was completely frozen in place, not daring to move and inviting this beast on front of him to attack. What was he supposed to do? He had barely any fighting experience, not to mention against a savage monster!

But the Wolf didn't leave him any time to think, as it took a menacing step forward. Its claws extended, about as long as Jack's ears, sharp as the knife he chopped chicken with about ten minutes ago, and ready to slice him open like the predators used to thousands of years ago. The only difference, this here wasn't a history lesson, this here was very real, and Jack was just about to become dinner himself. He slowly glanced to his left towards the door, and saw his free escape route.

Looking back at the Wolf, he clenched his fist around the flashlight, and after what seemes like an eternity, he finally bolted from the basement.

Quickly spinning around and putting all the energy Jack had left into his strong hare legs, he aimed towards the door and his escape route into safety. He instantly reached the stairs in no time, confident in losing his attacker. But he didn't expect his attacker to be faster than him. Forget it, whatever this thing was, it was faster than any living mammal. Because in an instant it was right behind Jack's heels, swiping its razor sharp claws across Jack's back and leaving a gashing wound, shredding his polo shirt.

Jack let out an agonizing scream, filled with pain and fear. But he couldn't give up. Channeling his remaining energy, he launched a counter attack and kicked the beast right on the snout, incapacitating it for a mere second. But it was enough to hurriedly grab the flashlight he dropped, ascend the stairs and stumble out the door onto the streets.

Filled with dread Jack ran a couple more yards toward a lamppost, leaning heavily against the pole and panting, trying to catch for breath.

He looked back towards the building, expecting the beast to burst angrily through the doors and ready to tear him apart. But nothing came. He waited for a while, but nothing came.

Confused about the lack of attacker, Jack perked his ears towards the building. Nothing. Not even a grunt. All he heard was the white noise of Downtown.

Deciding it was a quite fortunate moment to look over his wounds, he reached his paws back and tried to inspect his injuries. He could feel the throbbing pain of the gashes on his back, and being relatively safe now, he could feel them more than before. It hurt like hell, but it wasn't as bad as he thought it was. Slumping on his knees, he reached inside his pocket and pulled out his phone.

Quickly he dialed 911 and waited for a response, his eyes trained on the double doors of his now lightless building.

After ringing a few times, a voice finally picked up.

_"911 how can I help you?"_ a quite bubbly voice responded.

"I need help, quick! There's a savage animal in my building and I'm injured!" Jack barked into the phone, desperate to get help.

But the line was silent for a few seconds. Jack thought his line went dead and wanted to dial again, as the line clicked and a new voice responded. This time a deep and heavy voice, probably a mammal ten times his size.

_"How may I help you, Sir?"_ said the male voice slowly.

"There's a savage in my home, and I need medical attention, quick!" Jack repeated, slowly fed up about the situation. He was bleeding for fucks sake!

_"Please stay calm, Sir. What happened?"_ the voice calmly responded, much to Jack's dismay. But he decided to cut them some slack. He took a breath and recounted what happened.

"There's a black wolf in my apartment building, glowing red eyes, on all fours. He clawed my back and I'm bleeding!" he hissed through grinding teeth.

_"Can you identify the attacker, Sir?"_ the voice asked.

_What the hell? Are they deaf?_

Jack suppressed an angry retort, and answered in a low tone.

"It had black…" Jack wanted to say fur, but remembering the Wolf, it didn't have any. "It was black, and had glowing red eyes. I couldn't see any features, but it was behaving like a savage! It attacked me, and.. and it moved as fast as a shadow! This thing is dangerous! It would be best if you… if you send your best mammals for this."

He expectantly waited for a response, but like any expectations this evening, none came.

Only a faint sigh.

_"I'm sorry, Sir. But if your information is anything to go by, you're being attacked by a 'Shadow Wolf'? As much as I like fantasy and fictional stories, this is ridiculous. I recommend you to stop calling and occupying the line unless you have a 'real' emergency. Good evening."_

And so the line was dead.

Befuddled Jack looks at his phone screen, depicting his background picture. It was a selfie of Skye and himself hugging each other, smiling brightly.

The police decided to refuse him help and just ended the call. _This is outrageous!_ Jack thought as he furrowed his brow. _Ridiculous? Me needing help is ridiculous? Just wait when Skye comes ho.._ Jack stopped rambling as he remembered his wife. Again he looked down at his phone.

_9:21 pm_

_She's still not home_ , Jack realizes. He looked back towards the building, towards the no doubt still remaining threat of a beast in the apartment complex. His apartment. His home.

Furrowing his brow, a determined look reached into Jack's eyes. He set his goal, he would get rid of this monster, before his beloved wife would come home, so she would be safe. And if the police didn't want to help him, fine, he was going to handle this himself. But not completely by himself.

Jack wasn't dumb, and the gashes on his back were proof enough that he wouldn't survive this alone. So he quickly pulled up his contacts and called his only other friend, the only other mammal he truly trusted.

After several rings, his friend finally picked up.

_"Hello?"_ came a tired voice from the other side of the line.

"Nick? I need help."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Make sure to leave a review and comments!


	3. Don't Do It

_"We shall meet in the place, where there is no darkness."_

_-George Orwell_

"Sir, why did you reject the call?" Benjamin Clawhauser asked, as he sat in the dimly lit office of Precinct One's Police Chief Adrian Bogo.

Bogo snorted and put his heavy hooves on his dark wooden desk, his chair squeaking from his enormous weight.

"It probably was just some drunk prey, thinking of any predator that crosses his way as a _savage_ " he said, a heavy glare on his face, as Clawhauser intently listened to his superior's explanation. "Besides, we have more important matters than some drunk emergency calls. As of yet, Zootopia is experiencing a new crime wave and I don't have either the time or resources to sacrifice for some petty crimes like savage animals."

"But Chief, what if.." Ben wanted to protest, but was cut off by his superior's booming voice.

"No buts, Clawhauser! Now get this files to Wolford" Bogo grunted as he returned to his work, not sparing Clawhauser a second glance.

Clawhauser reluctantly grabbed the manila folders and rested them in his lap, not leaving like his Chief wanted him to. Instead he cautiously chose his next words so not to aggravate his short tempered boss.

"Chief, I really think we could at least send some Officers to check the situation" he began slowly, noticing that Bogo had stopped writing. Yet he didn't look up from his work, so Clawhauser continued.

"What if someone is seriously injured?" Clawhauser asked, hoping his Chief would agree.

After a tense silent moments, Bogo finally let out an audible sigh and rubbed the bridge of his mouth.

"One" he said tiredly.

Upon his answer, a faint glow of hope rose inside of Clawhauser and he straightened himself in his seat.

"One Officer" Bogo continued, "send Hopps to the location."

Upon hearing this, Clawhauser slumped again in his seat. _Just her alone? That can't be right._

"But Chief" he began, but again he was interrupted by his boss, aggravation now obviously apparent in his voice.

"Clawhauser, if you're not gone by any second now, I will put you into records for the rest of your life" he said in a menacingly low tone, "I already said, that we don't have the resources. So all I'm willing to sacrifice, is Hopps. So go and leave my office! This discussion is done. Dismissed."

With that Bogo returned to his work, not caring if Clawhauser still sat there or not.

Reluctantly, Clawhauser picked himself up and silently left the office, throwing one last glance towards his Chief, before closing the door with a small click.

-o-

She tiredly let out a weary sigh, as she slumped in her seat in front of her miniscule computer. It was nearly 10pm now, but even though she was about to fall asleep in her tiny cubicle, she was nonetheless determined to get her work done.

 _But at what cost_ , she thought as she stopped her work for a second to rub the sleep out of her eyes. She was beyond exhausted, having spent countless hours sitting in her office and filling out paperwork. Even though Judy was a real cop by technical standard, it was hard for her coworker so see her more than a token meter maid, and so she was granted the oh so honorable work of filling out mountains of white deaths of documents, much to her dismay.

She tiredly sighed, as she glanced around her cubicle. It was tiny by normal standards, so she could actually properly work, and after weeks of pleading and asking, Bogo finally relented and gave her this tiny cubicle just for her.

It wasn't much by any means, but even Bogo saw that, as this was the only work she got since her graduation months ago, she could at least have a proper work place.

But Judy wasn't happy. No she was quite disappointed. Angry. Sad. So many more emotions took ahold of her as she thought about her career.

 _Nothing more than a glorified secretary_ , she bitterly thought. But Judy wasn't a pessimistic thinker by any means. No, she wouldn't let this get to her. She was Judy Hopps! First rabbit cop of the ZPD! Valedictorian of her class! She would get her chance to prove herself, she just had to be patient and wait. Sooner or later Bogo just had to get her a case, and she was sure that this moment was just around the corner. Quite literally.

As she wanted to dive back into the sea of paper, she was interrupted by a portly feline, standing by the doorway of her cubicle.

Of all the officers inside the precinct, she liked Clawhauser by far the most. Sure, there were one or two other officer who she genuinely liked and who also liked her back, but Clawhauser was always there for her. Since she began working here, the bubbly cheetah has rooted for her, silently hoping she would break through and prove herself. He knew and saw her potential and was sure, if she had the chance, she would be an excellent officer.

So here he was, handing her a slim manila folder with the brightest smile she had ever seen on his face.

"Guess who has her first case" Ben began. He looked like would soon explode from anticipation, as Judy grabbed the folder and disbelievingly looked between it and Ben.

Any thank you or happy celebration fell away from her mind, as she looked at the folder in her paws.

 _My first case_. Finally reality settled in and Judy hopped like a rocket out of her seat and grabbed Ben's chubby neck, trapping him into a bone crushing hug.

"Ben, thank you so much!" she exclaimed, hugging her only friend, "my very first case!"

Ben only chuckled and carefully put his tiny friend back down into her seat.

"Well, it's about time that Judy Hopps shows Zootopia what she can do" he happily replied.

But Judy was barely listening. She was already excitedly looking at the folder, reading its content. All she saw was a documented phone call about 15 minutes ago.

Upon reading the report, her previously erect ears began to slowly slump behind her head.

 _Savage?_ , she thought skeptically. How can there by savage animals? This wasn't the dark ages thousands of years ago. Probably just some drunk prey.

But drunk or not. Judy would not reject her first real case. She would drive to the location and get to the bottom of this weird call. Grabbing her tranquilizer and her taser from the desk, she hopped down and sprinted out of her cubicle, leaving a surprised cheetah behind.

"Later Ben!" she called from the end of the hall, "Got a case to crack!"

-o-

"Nick, I need help."

Nick was sitting on his worn down couch in his small studio apartment, an open can of cold beer on his coffee table and a trashy movie on his TV, as he suddenly received a call.

He hasn't had many friends, so it was rather surprising that someone would call him this time of day. But what was even weirder was Jack the one calling him.

"Jack, what's wrong?" Nick asked, his tiredness now gone and replaced with worry.

Jack never called to have small talk. He was a busy animal and couldn't spare time to randomly call people, so something must have been wrong.

"Nick, I need you to trust me on this alright?" Jack sounded almost desperate, as if he was pleading, his voice strained and tired.

 _Now something is definitely wrong_ , Nick thought as he stood up from his couch, grabbing his keys and ready to leave his apartment. But what Jack said next made him froze in his tracks before he could close the door.

"I was attacked inside my building, by some kind of savage wolf" Jack began, "don't worry, I'm fine" he quickly added, not wanting to worry his friend. "But the crazy thing is, and please don't freak out, that wolf was like a shadow, it lacked any features, it was.. it was like a nightmare… its claws was abnormally long and… God Nick, Skye is missing, she should've been home by now but…"

Nick heard a weary sigh as Jack collected himself. He remained silent, inviting his friend to continue talking, as Nick stepped back into his apartment. Before he could leave to help, he needed a little something first.

 _I didn't think I would need it this soon_ , Nick thought as he ran into his bedroom and ducked under his bed, pulling out a small wooden box. He quickly pocketed the content and ran out of his apartment down onto the street as Jack continued talking.

"..I don't know what to do Nick, what if something happened to her.." he breathed out. Jack wasn't exactly the type to break down, but he barely managed to get ahold of himself.

"Jack, take a deep breath, I'll be there in about five minutes, and by God don't do anything stupid. Don't go inside the building. Hang in there."

Quickly Nick ended the call and rushed toward Jack and Skye's home, ready to help out his dear friends, hoping Jack wouldn't do anything stupid.

-o-

Jack knew he was about to do something stupid as he walked stealthily towards the building. He was normally very patient, but if it was about his and Skye's safety, he couldn't bear to wait. After entering the double doors, he entered the deserted lobby.

 _Where is everyone_ , he thought. He expected at least some tenants to be down here after a power shortage, but there were none.

Before he descended the stairs down to the basement he discovered a toolbox laying beside the doors. He quickly perked his ears toward the pitch black room, listening intently for the savage wolf. Not hearing anything he grabbed a slightly bigger wrench for medium sized mammals, holding it with two steady paws like a sword.

He wouldn't go in there completely unarmed, and he was sure this heavy metal wrench would bring up a nasty hit.

His plan was simple; hold the Wolf off from leaving the basement, maybe land some hits and try to incapacitate it, wait for Nick and finish this.

It was completely silent. Not even the faintest brush of wind was audible as Jack entered the dark basement. His soft paws strode determined into the abyss, his fists clenched tightly around the heavy wrench. He held it high beside his head, ready to hit whatever awaited him. Jack didn't exactly had any fighting experience, but he was fit enough to throw one or two punches. If he was ready to fight head on against a mystery wolf four times the size of him, that was another question.

Jack swore he could hear his heart bursting out of his chest, as it was the only thing he could hear, and he didn't doubt that the beast could hear it as well.

He could barely see anything, and he remembered the flashlight in his back pocket. Slowly he reached back and pulled out his old reliable, illuminating his path, as he strode further between the high metal shelves.

As he was halfway through the room, he finally heard something. A faint growling. Jack stopped and swallowed the lump in his throat. He was beyond terrified, but also determined to get rid off the threat, so he and his wife would be safe.

But where is she, Jack wondered, but quickly shook the thoughts away. He couldn't distract himself right now. Swiveling his ears around, he tried to locate the beast, so he could have the advantage of knowing where it could attack from.

He listened intently, ready to strike, as suddenly a deafening bark sounded from his right side. Jack quickly turned around, his wrench in one paw held high, the other holding his flashlight, shining directly on the menacing beast on the other end of the room. Suddenly all of Jack determination drained out his body, as the beast sprinted towards him, and before Jack could do as much as pull the wrench back, the beast was upon him. With an enormous force it pinned Jack down with its claws by his shoulders, digging its claws deeply inside Jack, who cried out in pain. The impact took out the air from his lungs, as he grunted in pain. He could feel his blood pooling around him, as the beast snarled into his face, dread coming over Jack as it bared its teeth, ready to bite his face off.

 _This is it_ , Jack thought. He closed his eyes, ignoring the pain in his shoulders and back, trying to remember his loved ones as last thoughts.

Instead he remembered Nick telling him not to do anything stupid.

Jack grunted disappointed and made himself ready to meet his maker, as another deafening bang exploded right beside his sensitive ears.

And suddenly the weight on his tired body was gone, he opened his eyes and looked up at the beast, or more like the lack thereof. Instead a red fox with emerald eyes and a shit eating grin stood above him, smiling down on his mangled body, a rather large smoking gun in his paw.

"I told you Stripes, don't do anything.."

"Anything stupid, I know, Jerkface." Jack managed to hiss through gritted teeth. Now with the threat gone, he felt the pain all the more, and it was agonizing.

Before Jack could question, why Nick had a weapon, a lethal one nonetheless, the pain made its way in Jack's brain, and he eventually felt how his senses faded away, the last thing he saw and heard the concerned face of Nick calling out to him.

-o-

While Nick was trying to carefully carry out his friend's injured body towards his black sedan standing on the sidewalk, he didn't notice another dark red sedan parking in an adjacent ally, watching them with valiant ruby eyes.

The white wolf watched intently, how the red fox heaved the striped rabbit into the passenger seat, before entering the driver's seat himself and driving away, possibly to his own home.

He made to move his car as well, following the pair, as suddenly another car screeched around the corner, halting in front of the house the fox was merely a second ago.

The wolf watched how a small, grey rabbit hopped out of the rather large police cruiser, sprinting towards the apartment building and stopping in front of it. She seemed to be looking for something, looking in all directions, as her ears did the same.

 _How convenient_ , Cypher thought, as he smiled dubiously, thanking serendipity for the arrival of this particular rabbit officer, as he stepped out of the car and strolled towards her.


	4. Ice & Fire

_"Life calls the tune,_

_we dance."_

_-John Galsworthy_

_No one's here_ , Judy thought, as she stood in front of the four story apartment building. Its dark red bricks and the lack of light, except the faint moonlight, gave the whole situation a rather eerie impression. Confused she looked back at her phone, checking if she was at the right place.

 _That's the address alright, but I don't see or hear anyone_. Her radar like ears swiveled around, looking for any sound that could lead her to her emergency mammal, but much to her dismay she couldn't make out anything.

Suddenly the lights inside the building began to flicker and eventually they burned a steady light, flooding the whole apartment building in a much welcomed warmth. The power was back.

"Huh," was all Judy could say, as she looked up the building. Everything was calm, there were no sounds except the white noise of the Zootopian night life, and that was what unsettled Judy. Was she too late? Was whatever emergency already over? Was the caller already…? She couldn't bring herself to finish that thought, as she ascended the building stairs towards the double doors, that would lead her to the lobby.

Before she could do as much as lay a paw on the door handle, she was startled by another white furred paw on her shoulder. She almost yelped of surprise as she spinned around, her paws already on her taser, ready to defend herself. At the sight of a just as surprised wolf with warm ruby eyes, she let her defense slightly down.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, but I just wanted to ask, if you knew where the next Precinct is?" the wolf asked apologetically, his big paws placed placatingly in front of him. He smiled sheepishly at Judy, as she collected and straightened herself into a normal standing position.

 _Just a friendly civilian asking for directions_ , she huffed and chased all the patronizing thoughts away. Steadying herself, she answered in a friendly yet professional manner.

"It's quite alright, Sir. I was just surprised, you know, usually I have really good hearing," she chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood. But it really did surprise her. How was this wolf, three times her size able to sneak upon her, without even making the faintest sound. Sure, Judy was beyond tired, but her hearing was always exceptionally good. _Weird_ , she thought.

"Hold up, you're Officer Hopps, aren't you? The first rabbit cop!" A delightful smile appeared on the wolf's face as he seemed to recognize her. Not too long ago, Judy's graduation was broadcasted all over the news, so she was no stranger to some attention she received once in awhile on the streets.

"The one and only," she smiled, "anyways, if you want to get to the nearest Precinct, the fastest route would be up north," she directed and pointed a furred finger in the said direction. As she continued to ramble and look away, she failed to notice a white furred paw pulling out a bug from his jacket.

".. and after you turn right, you can see City Hall right there on the market place," she finished her directions, still oblivious to the bug now on the backside of her kevlar west.

"Thanks for your help, Officer. Really appreciate it," the white wolf said, as he extended a paw and gave his best smile, appearing completely harmless. Judy smiled back, exposing her large buck tooth, grabbing the white paw and shaking it slightly.

"Always happy to help," she replied. As she was about to step inside the building, the wolf tuned up.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to look for a striped hare, are you?" he asked. "There was this fella over there," he pointed towards a lamppost to the left a few yards away, "some rabbit with black stripes on his face and I guess he was panicked or something, I don't know, but I guess he was calling for help. I wanted to ask him what was bothering him, but before I could get ahold of him, some fox knocked him out cold and stuffed him into a car. I was about to go to the police and report it, since I don't have a phone, which is why I asked you, but seeing as you are an Officer.."

Judy listened intently, while the wolf was talking. While he was reporting, what she exactly needed to know, she pulled out a little notepad and jotted down quickly the information. As the wolf came to an end, she thought about what she has been told.

Apparently a fox attacked the caller, a striped hare, and according to the call, the fox must have been very aggressive, which was why the hare thought he was savage. After knocking him out, the fox abducted him to an unknown location. Judy was rather proud of her deduction skills, this case was easier than she thought! This left one last question.

"Sir, you don't happen to see where they went?"

"Yeah, they went south towards the pier, in a black sedan," the wolf quickly replied, "I hope I could help, it is really unsettling what is happening out on the streets recently."

He nervously scratched his ear as he looked at Judy, an unsettling demeanor about him.

"Of course, Sir. Your information is invaluable for this case, thank you so much," she hurriedly replied, as she sprinted towards her cruiser, starting to race towards the docks, where she hoped she would find the missing hare.

Her first case! And it turned out much more than she expected. She couldn't help but feel a little bit jittery as she scanned the streets for a black sedan. She was determined to find that poor hare and bring that fox to justice.

-o-

The rabbit officer disappeared around the corner, and Cypher could only watch with amused eyes, just how gullible that rabbit could be.

Stupid prey, he chuckled to himself, as he strolled back to his car. After entering the driver's seat, he pulled up his phone and looked for the tracking program. The bug he has put on the rabbit's west without her knowledge was a tiny tracker with a built in microphone. It would lead him directly to Savage's location. The boss would be able to get all the intel from the bug, and they would finally find the opening to take them out once and for all.

-o-

Everything was a single blur. His head threatened to explode and his body was so sore, he couldn't move a single muscle without succumbing to the pain. Muffled sounds entered his ears, as faint lights creeped into his vision.

Jack slowly opened his eyes, as he felt the soft cushion he laid upon. The smell of cigarettes entered his mind as he opened his eyelids, finally making out the outlines and colors of the cozy living room he was in.

The wooden floors and the old, almost antique looking furniture, along with the faded photographs on the walls and shelves gave the whole room a very comfortable atmosphere. It was warm and inviting. The room was dimly lit, the only light source a small lamp on a dresser. The couch Jack lay upon was incredibly soft and squishy, as if it would swallow him up. Jack felt like he could just lay here, and forget all worries. The only thing missing, was the familiar warmth of his wife by his side.

At the thought of Skye, Jack jolted from the couch into a sitting position. He looked around frantically, trying to find out where he was, where Skye was, where Nick was…

 _Wait_ , Jack thought. Nick! He looked around the studio apartment, trying to find his friend. It didn't take him long to finally find the red tod, sitting by the kitchen island. He looked ragged, his body slumped, yet his eyes sparkled vividly as he watched how the hare managed to get ahold of himself.

"Had a good nap, Stripes?," Nick quipped as he dragged on his cigarette. Jack's eyes widened slightly at the sight of his vulpine friend smoking.

After collecting himself, Jack began to scratch around his shoulders, trying to get rid off a nasty itch, but instead of fur, he scratched against fabric. Upon closer inspection, he saw bandages and gauze.

 _My injuries_ , he thought. Nick must have taken care of him while he was knocked out. Sighing deeply he dragged his paw across his face, frustration apparent in his demeanor.

After a tense moment, he mumbled, "I thought you stopped smoking."

Nick smirked tiredly, "As of twenty minutes ago, I did." He exhaled the toxic smoke, relishing the familiar taste of nicotine. The tod and the hare stared at each other for awhile, none of them saying anything. It has been too long, since they saw each other. There were so many things to say, yet so little was actually said. Jack couldn't help but feel a little twitch inside his chest, as he remembered the last time he saw Nick. It was almost five years ago, they were young, they didn't know then what they were getting into…

Jack quickly shook his head. This was not the time.

"Thanks for treating my… my wounds," he mumbled, barely audible. But the twitching ears signaled, that the fox had heard him. Nick merely nodded and continued to drag on his cigarette.

Jack tried to stretch his sore muscles, letting out some frustrated grunts.

"What happened..?" he asked, not really remembering the events before he lost consciousness. He had faint memories, but he needed the whole story.

Nick acknowledged his question by turning his head towards the window.

"You want the short or the long version?" he asked, the smog escaping his snout as he talked.

"The short."

Nick turned back to Jack, his eyes sparkling. Jack couldn't pinpoint the feeling, but behind all the exhaustion and weariness, he could see pity.

"Fine. You were attacked, I saved your fluffy tail, brought you back here and decided to play nurse," he answered quickly. Jack started to remember, Nick rescuing him, before the Wolf could have shredded him into thousand rabbit pieces.

"And now you're laying on my couch in the middle of the night, and we're having a conversation while sitting half naked in my apartment."

Jack's eyes travelled down his body. Nick was right. He was topless. Looking back at his friend, he noticed he was also only in his training shorts.

Nick's eyes glistened mischievously, as he continued with a smirk, "If you were a female, this would have been very exciting."

Jack knew from past experiences, that Nick's sly demeanor could have been very infuriating, especially in situations as these, but being befriended with the tod for many years gave Jack a certain tolerance towards his badly timed humor.

He sighed as he rubbed his sore neck. Not replying to his quip, Nick decided to continue.

"And now we're here. You're completely fucked up, may I say. And I've started to smoke again after quitting for seven years," he said. The smirk fell from his face into a more serious demeanor, as he stubbed out the fag on the ashtray. He stood up and strolled into the living room, standing in front of the couch, his paws in his pockets. His languid movements were proof of his tiredness and apparently the time he had spent to treat Jack's injuries.

Jack couldn't help but feel thankful, and also slightly guilty.

 _He told me to wait, and I completely disregarded it_ , Jack thought regretfully.

_If I had just waited, none of this had happened.._

"Stop it, Jack," the use of his real name made Jack look up. "I know what you're thinking. Stop it, we're friends. You know exactly how far I would go for you and Skye."

Nick mustered up his most honest look, as he looked at his friend. It was true. The atypical couple were his only true friends, and he was more than happy to help them out any way he could.

At the mention of Skye Jack wanted to speak up, asking Nick to help him finding her. But looking into his emerald eyes, Jack knew that was redundant; his friend would go until the end of the world for him, and he knew it. Jack smiled appreciatively and Nick returned the gesture.

But after a moment, his smile fell. Nick sighed and looked into Jack's eyes with the most serious look the hare ever witnessed on the tod.

"Everything in this universe," Nick began, "everything, from our actions to our thoughts, happens for a reason. Nothing happens without a cause."

Jack listened intently, not exactly knowing, where Nick was taking this.

"What happens today is a mere causality of yesterday," the fox continued, his eyes locked with the hare, "and everything in the future is just as determined."

"Where are you going with this?" Jack asked perplexed.

After a tense silence without an answer, Jack swallowed a lump in his throat. Nick finally tuned up.

"What have you done, Jack?"

Now Jack was beyond confused. "What are you talking about?"

The way Nick looked at him told him, that he was dead serious. The usual devil-may-care attitude of the fox was gone, replaced with an unusual no-nonsense demeanor, and it was freaking him out.

"Look, if you're trying to.." he began, but was interrupted by Nick.

"Jack," he started again, "tell me what you did."

Jack remained silent. He truly didn't know what the tod was asking of him. For a moment Jack suspected a prank, that everything was just a cruel joke. But the punchline never came. Instead Nick continued.

"The attack tonight didn't happen without a reason," Nick's eyes were now shining scrutinizingly, "these people don't act out of pure lust. You have triggered something to cause this, and so did Skye."

Jack's eyes widened. _You know exactly what you've done, Jack_ , a little voice nagged at Jack's mind. But how was this possible? It couldn't be. That was years ago! No, it couldn't be. No one knows about this except him and Skye, and they haven't told a single living soul about it, now even Nick.

"I didn't do anything, Nick," Jack answered slowly, way too calmly to be inconspicuous.

Nick looked at his face, looking for any cracks in the wall Jack has built up, for any hint. But he couldn't see anything. If Jack wouldn't tell him on his own, no one could force him. The following silence was tense, he could almost grab it. Fiery emerald clashed against icy blue.

Eventually Nick relented and broke the eye contact, now staring at the wooden floorboards.

He let out a tired sigh and was about to turn and go to his bedroom, but Jack interrupted him.

"You said 'These people'," Jack began, his eyes shimmering suspiciously, "of whom were you talking about Nick?"

Now it was Nick's turn to be scrutinized.

 _I guess the tables have turned_ , Nick thought amused. But instead of leaving Jack in the dark, Nick actually wanted to cut the poor hare some slack. He had a tough night, and he most likely lost his wife, so Nick could at least throw him this one bone. He turned around, again facing Jack, paws still in his pockets.

"Nick, what. The. Fuck is going on here," Jack's voice began to rise, he was fed up about being left in the dark. He wanted to know what was going on. First his wife disappears, and now a fricking monster attacked him, and now his best friend he thought he could trust was probing him with a question he could impossibly answer! But before Jack could demand an answer from the tod, the lights suddenly flickered..

..and there it was, the oh so familiar event of a power outage.

Instantly, Jack's ears shot up from behind his head and swiveled around, looking for any threat. _It's happening again_ , he thought panicked. Is it happening again? Had the Wolf caught up? Was it here to finish the job?

As Jack was scrambling himself up from the couch to stand, he froze in front of Nick.

Right there, behind his vulpine friend. There it was. A black phantom. Its canine features and glowing eyes apparent in the dark living room, only lit by the moon. It was striding forward slowly directly towards Nick. But Nick was completely oblivious to the imminent threat. Jack needed to warn him!

"Nick," he started slowly, not wanting to aggravate the beast with any loud noises, "I need you to remain calm. But it's right behind you."

But instead of a mauling, nothing happened. Instead, the next thing Jack witnessed, outranked anything that had happened tonight. His eyes widened, his mouth agape, paws sweaty. Nick stood there with his cool and collected demeanor he was known for, as if nothing in the world was wrong.

And the beast. It was sitting on its hunches right beside him, not appearing a little bit threatening, almost like..

..a pet.

Nick lifted his paw and began to scratch the beast behind its ear, causing it to emit a satisfied growl. His emerald eyes locked with Jack's flummoxed gaze.

Jack couldn't believe his eyes, but now he finally saw the striking feature of the beast, and it finally clicked in his mind. Nick was watching him intently, gauging his reaction, as he continued to scratch the beast, waiting for Jack to put two and two together.

The beast had one feature that differentiates it from the beast from his basement. A difference that made Jack question everything he knew. A difference that pierced right through his resolve.

Just like Nick, the beast beside him had glowing emerald eyes.


	5. Player 3 Has Entered The Game

_"Much talking is the cause of danger. Silence is the means of avoiding misfortune._

_The talkative parrot is shut up in a cage. Other birds, without speech, fly freely about."_

_-Saskya Pandita_

_20 years ago_

_The clatter of dishes and mugs and the aromatic scent of breakfast food like freshly scrambled eggs and brewed coffee entered Nick's senses, as he sat alone in a booth in the back of the diner. Red fake leather seats, white walls with faded photographs, and the polished grey floor gave the whole diner a nostalgic yet charming look. Mammals of all sizes, from enormous pachyderms to tiny rodents, all of them you could find eating and chatting merrily at the establishment. It was early in the morning so it was quite normal to be as busy as it was now. But it didn't bother Nick._

_The little tod was finishing his homework before he would be sent to school for the rest of the day, and not wanting to be alone while doing it, he chose to accompany his mother at work. So here he was, sitting in the booth and scribbling in terrible marksmanship the last few paragraphs on his assignment, until he dropped the pencil on the table with an audible groan, while slumping in his seat. The day had barely began, and he was already beat._

_"What's the matter, Nicholas? Not satisfied with your essay?", an elderly lynx tuned up, as she rounded the bar counter on her way to pour some coffee into a customer's mug. The gray strands of fur on her snout were evidence of her age, but did nothing to compromise her performance in and outside of the kitchen. She was still a very vivid feline, more than capable of running the diner. Upon seeing the golden feline, Nick's mood lifted almost immediately._

_Fanny had been there for him since he was a little kit. Nick didn't know his parents since they passed away, while he was still an infant. So it was only natural for him, to see Fanny as his mother, since she raised him and provided food and a roof over his head. Nick wasn't stupid, he of course knew, that she wasn't his real mother, but that didn't really matter to him. She loved him unconditionally like any mother would, and that was all the more enough._

_"Nah, I'm always satisfied with my work, mom," Nick replied with a smirk, the smug attitude already apparent in his vivid emerald eyes, "it's just school. It's sooo boring. Honestly, I'm learning more from you in this diner," he waved his arms around the establishment, "than from that dirty rundown prison. Have I already told you, that the lunch food there literally looks back at you?"_

_Fanny listened to her little boy, as she stood in front of him, paws on her hips and an amused sparkle in her grey eyes. "Oh no, little man. You are going to get your education, as smart as you think you are, you surely don't know enough to get out of this house," she quipped as she slid into the booth opposite to the young fox, "You know, I want to see my little boy to one day leave this diner and make his own living, find a nice apartment, or maybe your own house even."_

_She rumpled the fur on his head as she spoke, much to Nick´s dismay. "Who knows, maybe you'll meet a nice vixen, but not if you don't get your education."_

_Nick waved her hands away as he straightened his fur and he glared facetiously at her. "Stop it mom! Girls are gross," he sticked his tongue out to emphasize his point, "And besides, I don't need math to be a tailor! I bet dad didn't need school to make clothes!"_

_Fanny gave him a rueful smile as he began to talk about his father. The poor boy never knew his parents and still, he aspired to be just like his father he never had._

_Maybe it's for the best, if he never knows, she thought as she watched Nick ramble about how redundant the education system was in his eyes. His innocent, vivid, and happy eyes._

_Yes, he doesn't need to know about Magnolia, Fanny thought, as she clenched her paws under the table, determined to never let her little boy, her son, being tainted by his origins._

_-o-_

_Today_

Nick stared at the striped rabbit, as he stared back at him with a disbelieving and shocked expression, his pupils darting between him and the beast. Jack's nose was starting to twitch adorably, his ears slumped behind his back and his body frozen in place.

Had it been a less serious situation, Nick would have pointed out, how cute Jack looked, but this was dead serious. Nick needed to know, how Jack would react to this new development, so it was crucial for him to look at this situation with a scrutinizing gaze.

 _Maybe it was too soon to introduce him to my Familiar_ , Nick thought, as doubts began to rise inside of him. Was it too early? Should he have waited a little longer? A lot has happened tonight; first Skye, then this other Familiar attacking him, and now this? As steel nerved Jack appeared to be, a mammal can only take this much before succumbing to the stress. But the situation was dire, and exceptional situations call for exceptional measures.

After another tense moment, Nick decided to tune up.

"Listen, Jack, and listen closely, as what I'm about to tell you is crucial," Nick began, as he took a step forward, to which Jack replied with another step backwards. Nick sighed internally. "I'm sure you have already figured out, that this Familiar belongs to me. Jack, look at me."

Upon hearing this, Jack tore his gaze from the Familiar and stared with confused and scared blue into Nick's emerald. "Do you trust me?"

Even more confused, Jack furrowed his brow, as if he hadn't heard the question.

"O.. of course I trust you, but what…" He was interrupted as Nick smirked at his response. He had a very bad feeling about this. While he trusted Nick with his life, he was still beyond confused about the situation. He was so sure that the beast in front of him was about to tear him apart like the other earlier was about to, but instead it sat there calmly on its hunches, not quite like a primal animal, but more.. domestic. And then there was Nick. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together and see, that the beast obviously belonged to Nick. If its emerald eyes weren't anything to go by, how Nick was basically petting it was proof enough, that this particular beast wasn't dangerous as all.

Suddenly Nick clicked his tongue, and in an instant, the beast, which was beside him a mere second ago, was now directly in front of Jack. The striped rabbit couldn't do as much as yelp in surprise, as the ferocious beast suddenly started to… lick him? It was licking him! Jack's face was already soaked in saliva before he realized, that the dangerous _beast_ was actually very harmless, at least towards him.

Upon this realization, Jack's body slowly relaxed, as his slumped ears stood slightly erect. He was confident, that Nick wouldn't harm him, but was still wary about the whole situation. He knew he needed to know more, so he looked Nick straight in the eye, determined to get some answers.

"What the hell is going on Nick?"

-o-

It had been about half an hour now, since Judy arrived at the rundown brick building in the outskirts of Downtown Zootopia, bordering at the Rainforest District. She had been following the black sedan after finding it halting at an intersection. She had tried her best to remain unseen by staying several hundred yards behind, and she was pretty sure that they hadn't have seen her.

That fox! How dare he to just abduct an injured citizen and just drag his poor body inside this ransacked hole he called home! She was determined to bring that fox to justice. She had called it in and to her surprise Bogo had given her the green light, as she had probable cause to get inside the building and didn't need a warrant to do so. She almost wanted to think he did it out of kindness, but if his tired and annoyed voice was anything to go by, he probably just wanted to get rid of her.

So why was she still sitting in her cruiser for half an hour now, not daring to step out of her vehicle? The reason was simple; reluctance. While she was absolutely happy to finally prove herself, that she was in fact a real cop, there was still the nagging fear in the back of her mind. What if that fox was armed? What if he was not alone?

Frustrated, Judy pulled her long ears down her face. _Sweet cheese and crackers! I knocked out a rhino at the academy, for Pete's sake! I can handle a fox!_ Collecting herself and taking a deep breath, she finally grabbed the door handle and stepped out of the cruiser. In a few strides she had crossed the deserted street and entered the building. This fox was going to get what was coming for him, and no fear was going to hold Judy back to guarantee that!

-o-

".. and that's the gist." Nick said, as he finished his explanations. He just had spent the last five minutes to explain to his friend, how he came to the realization of his abilities. He expected Jack to at least stare at him disbelievingly, but what surprised him, was actually the lack of disbelief. Jack seemed to take everything quite well, as he stood in front of him with his arms crossed on his bare chest. His eyes were staring at the floor, and Nick could see the wheels in his head grinding. It almost seemed like, that Jack already knew more than he showed.

 _What are you hiding Jack_ , Nick thought as he watched his friend, who finally looked up from his thinking and stared at him with as much scrutiny as Nick did.

"Are you telling me, that even though you're not a member of the _Magnolia Family_ , you still have the ability to summon, what do you call them, _Familiars_?", Jack asked.

"That's what I'm telling," Nick said, as he mirrored Jack's stance, arms crossed on his chest. The _Magnolia Family_ was a ghost-like underground organization, almost a phantom. Very few knew of them, the majority who do were members of the family themselves. And even fewer knew of the surreal ability of the family to summon special spirits, so called Familiars, who derive from the very own soul, hence the similar shape and eye color. Jack knew of the family from past events, but he stowed the dark memories away in the depths of his mind. _Nick mustn't know._

But that left Jack with the question, _why has Nick a Familiar, if he's obviously not a member of the family?_

Jack was just about to voice his question, as a sudden knock on the wooden door the hallway down interrupted him. Three heads spun simultaneously towards the sound, as Nick's Familiar let out a deep growl. Nick quickly calmed it down by scratching it under its chin, as the spirit suddenly disappeared into thin air and the power finally came back.

While Jack was already a good way to understanding this whole situation, the fact that such things as _spirits deriving from the fricking soul_! were in fact a real thing, was still a whole lot to swallow. Jack just shook his head as he focussed on the unexpected visitor outside the door. He would think about this matter later, when he had the opportunity.

Nick was already striding towards the door, as whoever was behind the door was banging on the door more loudly this time. "Open up! ZPD!"

They were obviously female, Nick thought, and as he peeked through his peephole he couldn't make out more than a pair of long, black-tipped grey ears. _A rabbit cop? Seriously?_

Without opening the door he answered the voice through the wooden board, that separated them.

"I'm sorry, Fluff, it's a little bit early to dress up for Halloween, so if you would be so kind as to play bunny cop somewhere else." Before he could step back inside the living room, he could hear a faint tapping of something _very_ fast on the floor outside the door. He looked questioningly towards Jack, hoping he knew what was going on. Alas, Jack only shrugged, not being one the wiser of the situation.

-o-

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Judy was tapping her foot on the squeaky floor in light speed, her arms crossed and ready to kick down that door and give that fox a piece of her mind. She was a cop for Pete's sake! How dare he patronize her like that! And on her first case nonetheless! _And did he call me Fluff?!_

Now Judy was beyond angry, no, she was furious!

Sending another series of knocking on the door with more ferocity, she yelled, "Sir, I need you to open up! Or otherwise I will be forced to more extreme measures!"

But instead of the door opening, she just heard a snort. "What're you gonna do, Carrots? Hurt my fweelings?"

That's it! She had enough! She wasn't going to sit around doing nothing, while this fox was straight out insulting her! Clenching her fist, she took some steps back, until she reached the opposite wall, tensing her muscles, as she made herself ready.

_Just you wait, I'm going to hurt more than your 'fweelings'!_

-o-

A swift punch on his shoulders got rid off of the smirk on Nick's face. "Ow! What was that for, Stripes?" he said, as he rubbed his right shoulder, pouting at the striped rabbit.

"You know exactly why. Carrots? Really?" Jack glared at him disappointedly with crossed arms as his foot was also beginning to tap against the floor.

 _Two fluffballs, this is my death_ , Nick thought as he was about to retort, but he closed his mouth as he made out loud stepping sounds outside the door. It sounded like someone was running. Is she running away? _Typical, big bad predator gets loud and she runs away with her tail between her legs._

Nick wanted to chuckle at that thought, but was rudely interrupted by a wooden door opening at high speed, leaving a visible dent in his wall as it crashed with a loud thud.

Before Nick could spin around and face the music, two grey feet connected with his snout, making him stumble and fall heavily on his tail. Pain shot through his body as he laid flat on the floor, a grey rabbit standing triumphantly on top of him, paws on hips and the most menacing look on her face he has ever seen from something that cute.

"H..hey, no reason to get all pawsie, I'm pretty sure this is bordering on police brutality!" Nick exclaimed as he tried to sit up, but the rabbit on top of him was keeping him in place as she leaned down, almost touching his nose with hers.

"Oh, now I'm a real cop? I thought a second ago I was just playing bunny cop?" she quite literally growled, her teeth grinding as she poked a finger into Nick's bare chest. He raised his paws in a placating manner, trying to diffuse the fluffy bomb on top of him.

"Come on, can you blame me? How can something as cute as you be a cop?"

The moment the words left Nick's mouth, he knew he wouldn't survive the night. All those years he thought his silver tongue was his best quality, made for him to get out of sticky situations by just talking his way out. But now he wasn't quite so sure, as amethyst eyes burned like fire into his emeralds. She was suddenly completely still, her ears standing straight, and her face lacking any emotion. For the first time this night, Nick was actually afraid.

"What. Did. You. Call. Me?" Her voice was as cold as ice, and Nick could feel a shiver running down his spine. He swallowed a lump in his throat as he closed his eyes, ready to meet his maker, as another voice tuned up.

"Ugh.. I'm sorry, Officer, but would you please be so kind, and excuse my idiot friend?" Judy's eyes shot up from Nick's pitiful face to another apologetic face of a rather handsome rabbit. During her rant and being focussed, to kick that fox's snout in, she failed to notice the third party in the room.. the third _shirtless_ party.

Seeing the other buck standing in front of her, completely bare chested, sent her a hot flush through her face as she finally stepped from Nick, her ears slumped behind her head to hide the blush. _How didn't I see him?!_

"I.. I'm so sorry, Sir! I didn't know what was coming over me!" she quickly apologized, though deep down she didn't feel a little bit sorry for that fox for insulting her. Nick slowly picked himself up and dusted himself off, as he stood between Judy and Jack.

"Yeah? You can consider yourself lucky if I didn't file a complaint for police brutality!" Nick said accusingly, pointing a clawed digit at Judy. But his threat was quickly interrupted by another punch on his shoulder.

"Don't push your luck, Nick." Nick rubbed his shoulder again, while sending the rabbit a glare. "Anyways, how can I help you, Officer..?" Jack asked, as he extended a paw.

"Hopps. Officer Hopps." Judy answered, shaking his paw and smiling. But her smile was quickly replaced by a confused frown, as the other buck was staring at her with wide eyes.

Mouth agape, eyes wide and body frozen, he stared at her, apparently at a loss for words.

But as she wanted to ask him, what was wrong, she halted at his next word.

"Judy?"


	6. Gone Rogue

_"There's something disturbing about recalling_

_a warm memory and feeling utterly cold."_

_-Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl_

_15 years ago_

_The burrow was silent. It was nighttime, all of the hundreds inhabitants of the underground burrow were asleep, exhausted after a day of hard labor on the fields. Working for hours in the hot blazing sun took its toll on the small army of rabbits, evident in the silent snores audible throughout the burrow. All was asleep, all but one._

_Jacob couldn't sleep. His mind just wouldn't let him rest. It has been hours now, since he laid in bed, tossing and turning, not finding the oh so welcomed slumber. With a grunt he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, sitting upright, his arms resting on his knees. To say he was tired was an understatement, tearbags evident under his half lidded eyes. Faint moonlight shone through his window as he looked out into the fields._

_As part of the first litter, Jacob and his littermates were allowed to inhabit the ground level of the burrow, granting them faster and easier access to the outside, and also the privilege of having a window in their rooms._

_Jacob stared out into the calm dark night, wishing nothing more to just succumb to slumber, but nothing came. Frustrated, he stood up from his bed, wandering through his room, busying himself and hoping it would tire him even more, so he could actually get some hours of sleep._

_As he passed by his small desk opposite to his bed, he caught a glance of a family portray, hanging on the wall above the desk. It was a fairly big picture, depicting his whole family, all 150 of them. He found himself looking at his litter. There he was, a young gray buck, smiling brightly with shimmering blue eyes, exposing his large buck teeth. Beside him his litter mates. A certain pair of amethyst eyes caught his attention, as he smiled at the picture of his dear sister._

_Judy was something else. Since she was a small kit, she always wanted to be something more than a simple carrot farmer. No, she wanted to make a change in the world, leave something meaningful behind if she was no more. And Jacob had nothing but admiration for his sister._

_And then there was Jacob. What had Jacob ever achieved? Amongst his litter mates, he was the one with the least expectations to do anything meaningful in the future. All of his siblings had aspirations and goals they could thrive for, or at least were good at something that was actually useful inside the burrow. But Jacob? No, he was terrible at farming, had barely the understanding of agriculture, and he had hardly any goals. All he was good at was math, and no one needed that on the fields. Not that he didn't want goals, he just couldn't see himself being useful._

_Dark thoughts began to lodge themselves into Jacob's mind, as he stood by the family portrait. His family that saw in him nothing but a liability. His family would be better off without him. Why did he even bother? Why?_

_Not finding the answer to his question, Jacob began to stroll towards his window. The moon shone brightly, not being hindered by any clouds for it was a clear dark blue sky. The world seemed so wide, so limitless. So free. Out there, there were no expectations, no aspirations, no disappointment. Only life._

_Jacob was sure, if he would look back to this very moment a few years later, he would laugh at how stupid and impulsive the decision he was about to make was. But he didn't care. If he couldn't offer this family anything worthwhile, then he is going to do it for himself._

_With a new resolve and the tiredness out of his system, Jacob began to collect all the things he needed to survive a few days. A new fire burned in his ice blue eyes, a fire that had been extinguished for far too long, a fire of determination._

_Jacob Hopps was no more, now he was just Jacob._

_-o-_

_Today_

Jack stood there in the dimly lit studio apartment, body frozen like a statue, as amethyst eyes stared confused at him. Familiar amethyst eyes, painfully familiar.

"Judy..," he exhaled, still paralyzed from seeing her again after such a long time.

Judy on the other paw, couldn't make sense out of the whole situation. She was beyond confused. She took a glance around the apartment, as she waited for the buck to collect himself. There she was, on her first real case, looking for an abducted hare, taken by a shifty fox on the streets. But this whole situation was a whole nother story. The "abducted" hare was apparently fine, besides the obvious injuries on his shoulders and chest, apparent by the gauze. And the shifty fox? At the moment he was inspecting the hinges on his door she had just busted during her rampage, an annoyed expression on his face, furrowed brow and the corner of his mouth angled downwards.

"Damn it, rabbit," he growled, "did you have to bust my fricking door?" he exclaimed, paws on his hips as he shifted his attention to the rabbit officer. "I want this compensated, or else."

By his expression and the tone he spoke in, Judy knew he wasn't joking. What had she done? To just lose her temper like this, busting a door and the wall, assaulting him for just being rude? Her ears slumped behind her head as she could already see the infuriated face of Bogo yelling her ears bloody. She could consider herself lucky if she was assigned for parking duty for the rest of her career after this whole debacle. She needed to make this up.

"I'm so sorry, Sir," she basically pleaded, her paws in front of her in a placating manner, "I swear I will make this up to you, I just don't know how yet, but please don't report this."

Usually, Judy wouldn't beg for anything, but this situation could escalate into something ugly very quickly.

Nick opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by the other rabbit in the room.

"It's fine, he won't report you," Jack said confidently, his gaze shifting towards Nick, an eyebrow raised, "right?"

Nick on the other paw, wanted nothing more than to destroy that little rabbit's career, just like she destroyed his fricking door! But Jack was acting differently, he was obviously hiding something. And the resolve in his ice blue eyes spoke volumes about what Nick was supposed to do now. Reluctantly and not satisfied with the outcome of the situation, Nick just grunted an agreement, crossing his arms, and strolling into the kitchen. He would ask Jack later, what this was about.

Before he could leave the hallway, he sent Judy one last glare. "This is not over yet, you will pay this back, one way or another." And with that he left the room.

Judy flinched at his harsh tone. Even though she wasn't exactly happy about the situation, she knew she didn't exactly have a choice in this matter anymore. She would pay him back, as much as a jerk he was, she had to do the right thing.

Before she could ponder further about what Nick might want from her, Jack interrupter her thoughts. "Please excuse Nick for his.. attitude. Believe me or not, he is actually a very decent mammal, if you get to know him better." Jack shrugged apologetically, trying to diffuse the tension.

Judy wasn't so sure about that. "Really? Because as of now, he seems like a huge pain in the tail." Jack simply didn't reply, not really disagreeing.

"Anyway, Ju.. Officer Hopps," he caught himself, "what seems to be the matter? There's most definitely a reason for you spectacular entrance, right?"

"Well, we received a call about.." she glanced on the clock on the wall, a slight blush visible on her cheeks, "one hour ago, about a 'savage attack'. As I arrived at the location of the call, no one was there. A passerby then reported seeing a 'fox abducting an unconscious striped hare'" Judy continued, looking at Jack closely, "but honestly, this doesn't seem like an abduction at all. What is going on?"

She crossed her arms and looked expectantly at Jack. Things didn't seem to add up. This rabbit and the fox, Jack and Nick if she remembered the names right, certainly didn't seem to act like 'kidnapper' and 'hostage'. No, they acted more like friends, having a sleep over of some sorts. But why was Jack injured then? And if the information of the white wolf was anything to go by, why was Jack unconscious? There were too many questions and facts that didn't make sense. Before she could voice her questions, a red barechested tod walked out of the kitchen, three glasses of water balanced in his paws.

"I did no such thing," he said nonchalantly, offering his guests two of the glasses, who took them thankfully. Judy though, took them somewhat reluctantly, causing Nick to raise a brow. "What? I might be a jerk, but my mom didn't raise no fox without manners."

Judy just snorted, returning to her initial questions after taking a gulp from her water.

"So, this whole 'abduction' thing is a huge misunderstanding?"

Jack and Nick just nodded, not saying anything, Judy continued.

"But, why are you injured then? These wounds don't look like coming from 'tripping' or something," she stepped towards Jack, who took a small step backwards, confused about why she was advancing towards him. Upon closer inspection of the wounds, Judy mumbled, "No, these look more like… puncture wounds, most likely claws. Way too big for a fox, so either a wolf or a feline.."

Before Judy could deduct more from his wounds, Jack took another step back and diverted Judy's attention. Nick quickly laid a paw on Jack's back and led him away from Judy, towards the kitchen. "If you would excuse us, Officer, but the 'grown-ups' need to discuss something real quick," Nick said, a smug expression on his face, not noticing the annoyed frown as Judy again started to tap her foot.

As Jack and Nick entered the kitchen, Nick closed the door and started to whisper, making sure the other rabbit couldn't hear their conversation.

"We need to get rid of her."

"What? No Nick, we can't just kill her!" Jack hissed through his teeth.

Nick widened his eyes, "What?! No! I'm not talking about killing her! God Jack, what do think of me?" He waved his arms around, emphasizing his point, that he was not planning to kill her. "No, I mean like, shooing her away or something, feeding her some false information so she will be on her way, you know?"

Jack crossed his arms, not liking the idea, "I don't know Nick, she's a police officer. Maybe she can actually help us. After all, she has access to the databank of the police. She could be useful." _And I don't want her gone, not again after so long._

Nick didn't look satisfied, but somewhat agreed with Jack. Three were more than two, after all. And Nick knew, they needed all the help they could get. And what Nick saw from her as of yet, he was sure that she would be of use in the future. But involving her would further risking them, as they would need to worry about one more party. _But she's not getting away after breaking my door._ And with that, Nick had made his decision.

"Fine," Nick grunted reluctantly, "But, she can't know, under any circumstances, about my Familiar, clear? Not only would she probably not believe us and send us to Cliffside Asylum for being crazy occultists, but that knowledge alone is too dangerous to know."

"Crystal clear," Jack immediately agrees. He wouldn't want to endanger Judy, no matter what. "But she needs something to work with, we need to tell her about Magnolia and that they have Skye."

After some thinking, Nick nodded. "Alright, but nothing more."

-o-

Judy waited patiently for the two of them to finished their conversation. While she could only hear faint whispers, she couldn't understand what they were discussing. Her questions were quickly chased away, as the fox and the hare returned from the kitchen.

"Done with the team briefing?" Judy asked sarcastically, causing Nick to smirk.

"Basically, but before we tell you more, we need to know if we can trust you," Jack asked, already knowing the answer, as he would trust Judy with his life, but he needed Nick to also hear it.

Judy was again confused, but nodded slowly, "Of course you can trust me, but what is this about?"

Nick and Jack shared a quick glance, Nick giving Jack the go ahead.

"Alright, but what we're about to say, doesn't leave the room." Upon Judy nodding, Jack continued.

"My wife was abducted, and I need your help in finding her."

Amethyst eyes widened, as she took in what Jack had just said. "You wife is missing? That.. that's horrible. Do you have any suspicions who might have done it?" she asked, as she pulled her notepad out of her belt, already in cop mode.

"No, but that's where you come in. We might have a lead for who it could've been. But we don't have the resources or the mammal power to do this alone. We need your help in doing this, since you have full access to the police databank," Jack continued, Judy listening intently.

It was true, Judy did have the resources to help them. But it wasn't that easy. While she had the ability to get the informations needed, she just couldn't do it if she felt like it. She needed the case assigned to her by Bogo and having his explicit permission, before she was allowed to do anything. And in her current position, she wasn't so sure if Bogo would give her anything other than a rather loud sermon.

But looking back at the expectant sapphire and emerald eyes of the other mammals in the room, resolve gradually formed inside of Judy. She was determined to help these mammals in need, that's why she became a cop. To help those in need. To make a change. And this missing mammal case was a start. All she needed was some persuasion to convince her Chief.

With a determined look on her face, she looked at the fox and the hare, "Okay, I want to help you, but," she gave them a pointed look, "I can't guarantee anything."

That seemed to satisfy both of them. "Now, I have a phone call to make."

-o-

He swore the minutes became longer by the second. He was already pushing it close to a twenty four hour shift by now, and it didn't seem to take an end. Mountains of paperwork and report sheets loom on his desk, and they didn't seem to shrink, no matter how many of them he filled out.

Bogo was almost sixty years old now, and his age was getting painfully apparent to him. His back hurt, he was beyond tired, and a excruciating headache was pushing him to the edge of passing out. But as the Chief of Precinct 1 he had duty to fulfill, and the biggest crime wave in Zootopia as of yet wouldn't go away on its own.

So here he sat, filling out forms after forms, seemingly to no end, as he actually played with the thought of going home and finishing his work tomorrow. As he was about to set down his pen to rub the bridge of his broad snout, the telephone on his dark wooden desk rang, worsening his headache.

"Ugh, what now.." he growled, a soul crushing frown on his face. Whoever was on the other side of the line, they were about to get a mouthful. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Bogo accepted the call, lifting the phone to his ears. "What."

"Uh, good evening Chief, how are you?" Upon hearing the chipper female voice, Bogo's mood worsened tenfold. "Officer Hopps," he exhaled in a low menacing tone, "you better have a very. Good. Reason for calling me."

He could hear, how she audibly swallowed. "Yes. Of course, Sir. I actually do have a reason. A very good one." Bogo could only guess, but he could almost hear her trembling over the line. _Good._

"I'm listening," he growled, wanting this whole conversation to come to an end. His patience was very thin this evening, and he didn't need another delay.

"Okay, so, while I was investigating the 'savage attack', which was a huge misunderstanding by the way, funny story, I'm sure you would have a good laugh, Sir," she chuckled nervously. Bogo replied with an impatient growl.

"Right," Judy squeaked, "well, where was I. Right, while I was investigating that case, I stumbled upon another case. The caller, a certain Mr. Savage, is missing his wife, saying she was kidnapped."

While Bogo was listening to his smallest Officer, he couldn't help but actually consider her words. Sure, she was a joke to the precinct, but he couldn't dismiss a possible missing mammal case. Savage attack? Not really. But missing mammals were pretty common, so he was ready to hear that one out. Just not from her.

"So? Report the case, and let one of the other officers handle it," he replied, ready to end the call, but Judy wasn't done yet.

"But Sir, I am more than capable of handling this case!"

"Hopps, I am not having this discussion. Return to the precinct and hand the case to another officer, is that clear?" Bogo was having none of that nonsense. He could only bear so much on a day, and that limit was almost reached.

"But.." Judy wanted to begin, but Bogo cut her off. "No Buts Hopps! I said, you can't handle such a case! Now follow your orders before I suspend you for insubordination!"

With that he slammed the phone on the table, ending the call immediately. Dragging his hooves across his face, he sighed heavily through his nostrils. What would he do for just one glass of bourbon.

-o-

"..before I suspend you for insubordination!"

The line went dead, as Judy lowered her paw, grimacing at the rant of her boss. So that's it, Judy thought bitterly. Here she was, the opportunity to prove herself served on a silver platter, but still out of reach. Because her boss couldn't see the potential in her.

Infuriated, but yet disappointed, she shoved her phone back into her pocket. But Judy wouldn't be a Hopps if she would just walk away from this. No, she would suck this up, and find her own way. She would show Bogo, she would show everyone what she was capable of, no matter what! She already agreed to help Jack and Nick, and she would keep her word.

Striding back into the apartment and facing the tod and the hare, who were just having a discussion, she looked into their eyes with a fierce determination.

"I'll do it."

-o-

Unbeknownst to the trio in the apartment, ruby eyes were watching the building intently.

"Yes, they're still in there. I can hear them," Cypher answered his superiors question, as he talked to them over the phone. He was sitting in his sedan, parking in an unlit alley adjacent to the building, remaining unseen while seeing everything.

" _Don't do anything yet_ ," the voice over the phone replied slowly, the voice being calm and cold, not hinting at any emotion, " _I need more information, before making a move_."

Cypher didn't reply, as his superior ended the short phone call. He shoved his phone back into his pocket, his eyes never leaving the building. He had been sitting in his sedan, watching the building and listening to their conversation over the bug, he had planted on the kevlar vest of the bunny, for the last half an hour.

Cypher had been wary of the situation since the involvement of that fox. His plan was easy, get rid of the loose ends, clean and thorough. The vixen was easy as that, but the hare. He was something different. He actually managed to escape, and even survive an attack from his Familiar, going as far as calling for reinforcement. Cypher didn't think much of that, as his Familiar was more than capable to take care of two mammals.

What he didn't expect was his Familiar to be destroyed. While it incapacitated his summoning for a while, his Familiar couldn't exactly die, as long as the Owner was alive. Cypher could summon his Familiar back at any given time, but the sooner he would do it, and not giving it the time to recover, it would be weaker and compromised it its fighting abilities.

But Cypher didn't care. He needed to know what was up with that fox. How the hell was that pelt able to just destroy his Familiar?! He couldn't just whack a spirit! No, there was only one way to harm a Familiar; you need a powerful spell, but where did he get the spell from? That was the million dollar question.

And here he was, sitting in his sedan and spying on their conversation, waiting for the opening, _something_ to give him a reason to bolt in there and finish the job. But he couldn't just rush in there, if he hadn't had the full picture. The one thing Cypher learned, was to always prepare and know your enemy.

That fox had something up his sleeve, and before he could finish the job, he needed to know what he was up against.

After some pondering, Cypher snorted and finally threw the door open, stepping out into the cool night air and striding over towards the building. _Orders be damned_ , he thought. What better way to get the fox to use his ace, than to attack them straight on. He was prepared for whatever that fox had up his sleeve, his Familiar was strong, even in its current state. The hare was injured, so he would be no problem, and that rabbit cop.

Well, let's just call her collateral damage.


	7. One Goes, One Comes

_"Every one of us is losing something precious to us._

_Lost opportunities, lost possibilities, feelings we can never get back again._

_That's part of what it means to be alive."_

_-Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore_

_15 years ago_

_Sapphire eyes danced around the crowd as the sun burned down from the skyscraper canyon, the sky bright blue with a few specks of white clouds. The occasional wind was a blessing on such a hot day and the thousands of Zootopia's inhabitants were mingling around the streets, either on their way to work or school._

_The arctic sighed as she watched the kits and cubs running to and fro around the streets. Toothy smiles, as bright as the sun on their faces, as they were on their way to get their education. She dearly wished, she could just join them, make new friends, get a proper education, just be happy…_

_But the young vixen had to look reality in its eyes. An orphaned vixen on the streets was just that, useless and nothing more. The other kits were playing in their backyards with their family and having the time of their lives, not an ounce to worry about, while here she sat in the blazing sun, dirty and ragged clothes, stomach empty since yesterday, and worried if she's still going to be alive tomorrow._

_She knew next to nothing as to why she was on the streets. Surviving out here was her day to day basis, so much was clear. The best spots to find food? She knew them. The best places to have a peaceful sleeping spot? Just ask her. It had been always this way._

_As the vixen was sitting on a worn and ripped blanket, laid out on the sidewalk, and watching the mingling crowd, suddenly a red blur caught her gaze. Spinning her head around, her sapphire eyes focused on a emerald pair, vivid and carefree. The young tod, some years older than her, was strolling without a care in the world through the crowds, his backpack hung lazily from one shoulder, paws in his pockets and a smug look on his handsome face._

_She was entranced by what she saw. A fellow fox! And he was the absolute polar opposite of her. While she was dirty and ragged, that tod's fur was well kept, shimmering a bright red in the sun. Her clothes she had found in the next dumpster, way too oversized, and while the Pawaiian shirts he wore were horrible to look at, they still looked clean and fitted him smugly._

_But instead of feeling jealous towards the fellow fox, she couldn't help but feel a shimmering ember of hope and determination lightning up inside of her. If a fox like him could walk around the streets, with a devil-may-care attitude apparent on his face and be content with it, then so could she. She would show the world what she could do. She would show the world, that she was more than a vixen, she was kind, clever and.. and.._

_..very nervous as soon as she noticed the red fox catching her gaze, and now walking towards her!_

_She swallowed nervously, as the handsome tod now stood before her, paws still in his pockets, but instead of the smug look, a look of genuine concern showed on his face._

_His voice was smooth and low as he spoke, and the vixen could feel her resolve being drained out her body._

_"Say, what are you doing out here on the sidewalk?"_

_She was most definitely sweating now, and it was not the sun. Before she could utter out a word, the tod crouched down to talk to her on eye level._

_"Sorry, don't answer that," he chuckled, "that's a stupid question to ask."_

_Her ears fell flatly on her head, as she turned her head shyly away, her cheeks burning. Sure, she was homeless and an orphan, but she didn't need to have the fact shoved into her face. But his next words lightened up a whole nother flame inside of her._

_"You must be an actress," he said, his emeralds sparkling mischievously, "Someone as pretty as you must be an actress. So, where are the hidden cameras?" He actually looked around, as if he was expecting a camera team to burst through the bushes._

_Upon hearing that, the vixen was sure she was burning right now. He complimented me!, she thought. She couldn't help but to chuckle at his antics, her laugh light and full of genuine joy, causing Nick to smile._

_"Tell you what, I'm pretty famished," Nick began, "how about you and me catch something to eat? I know a little diner down the street, real nice place, you'll love it." Nick advertised as he stood up straight, his paws waving in front of him._

_He extended a paw, offering her to follow him, offering his friendship, his kindness.._

_"I'm Nick, by the way, what's your name?" he asked, as she accepted his paw, standing up. She now noticed, that he was slightly taller than her._

_She truly couldn't help but swallow a lump in her throat. Tears of joy began to well up on the corner of her sapphires. No mammal, no one ever has offered her kindness all those years. And on this fateful day, she finally would have a friend. A family. A home. And for the first time in what seemed like forever, she spoke to another mammal._

_"I'm Skye."_

_-o-_

_One year later_

_About one year had passed, since Nick found the arctic vixen out on the streets. To be honest, he wasn't expecting her to accept his offer. He thought she would just run away or something. But he would be lying if he'd say he wasn't happy she had accepted._

_Ever since Skye came with him to Fanny's diner, he couldn't help but growing fond of her. The moment she walked through the diner's doors, he knew he had offered her the same thing, Fanny had given him all those years ago; a family. Nick truly saw Skye as something like his little baby sister. Even though she practically grew up out on the streets, Skye was the kindest mammal he had ever met. Not once did Skye show any resentment towards another mammal, never was she angry, only disappointed or absolutely forgiving. Skye knew how life was out on the streets, and she full heartedly dedicated herself into helping mammals in need. Whether it was organizing a soup kitchen or a charity ball, she was always the one who took the initiative, even at such a young age._

_Nick was proud to call her his sister._

_And when Fanny suddenly became sick, he was thankful for her._

_Nick sat on a chair in the hallway outside of Fanny's room. His body was slumped, his arms on his knees, as he stared blankly on the ground. His mind was empty, lacking any thoughts, his usually so vivid emeralds now dull and colorless._

_Skye sat beside him, and while only knowing Fanny for one year, her sudden sickness took a toll on the young vixen. Living on the streets, Skye was somewhat used to seeing mammals passing away, and while it was still an uncomfortable matter, she had been able to work through it quickly. But this was a different story. Skye truly loved Fanny. She was like a mother for her, nurturing her, raising her as her own, when she was nothing more than a ragged homeless. She was forever thankful for her hospitality and love, and she swore to pay her back, by staying by Nick's side and supporting him in any way she could._

_As she wanted to speak up, a white tailed deer stepped out of Fanny's room. His expression was grim, but it was nothing new, as both of the foxes, who now stood straight to face the doctor, already knew about the terminal disease of their mother._

_Some words of support were spoken, some technical words regarding her condition, and advise was given, but none of them heard a word, as they were eager to share the last moments with their loved one._

_After the doctor departed, the two foxes entered the dimly lit, yet cozy and warm room. Earthy tones dominated inside the bedroom, warm orange light from a small lamp illuminated the space, creating a safe haven for the foxes, so they could forget the world for a short while. Now it was only the three of them._

_"My babies," Fanny exhaled, her voice hoarse from exhaustion, "come 'ere, let me see you one last time."_

_Her words bore a spike through Nick's heart, as he saw his mother laying on her deathbed, the woman who raised him, who was always there for him when he had no one, now broken and on the verge of death. Nick swallowed the lump in his throat, approaching the bed, trying to keep his composure as he smiled sadly._

_"Hey mom," he whispered, taking her paw into his, "how are you feeling?"_

_"Better now, with you two here," she smiled, tears welling up in her eyes, "I don't have much time left, so please listen closely."_

_Upon hearing her last wish, Skye and Nick closed in on her, Skye standing behind Nick and looking over his shoulder, as she also tried to keep her composure, seemingly unsuccessfully as her sapphire eyes got glassy._

_"I have worked all my life," Fanny began, her voice low and calm and eyes closed, "to fulfill my dreams of having my very own diner. I know it sounds silly," she weakly chuckled, "but seeing the mammals come in, and smile at the sight of my food. It just makes me feel appreciated."_

_She opened her eyes, her pale blue eyes now focussing on the most precious mammals in her life, "But it never completed me." She smiled contently, "Only after two little ruffians came into my life, I was finally, truly happy."_

_Nick and Skye were by now teary messes, sniffing and crying freely, listening to their mother's last words._

_"Skye," she looked at the arctic vixen, who jerked up from her sobbing, focussing on her voice, "I want you to take over my diner. I know how happy it makes you, to see other mammals smiling. Your cooking is as good as mine, and I'm sure you will do great in my absence. My last wish for you, is to keep on making the world a brighter place."_

_Skye couldn't answer, she just nodded her head furiously, streams of tears running down her face. Nick was no better. His fur around his cheek was matted from all the wet escaping his eyes. Nick never cried. It was unusual to see the red tod to express his emotions in such a raw manner, and it saddened Fanny to see her little thick headed boy to cry over her. She tightened her grip around his paw._

_"Nicky, my little boy," she began, "do you remember the one time, I tried to teach you how to cook?" An amused sparkle in her eyes, as she watched Nick's reaction. Nick barked a choked laugh, as he smiled sadly. Memories flooded his mind, as he tightened his grip on his mother, as if it would let her stay just a little longer._

_"You almost burned my whole diner down," Fanny weakly chuckled, as she continued, "So it would be the best if I didn't let my diner in your supervision."_

_"No, my little Nicky. I've always known you wanted something different. You never knew your father, and still you wanted to step into his pawsteps and become a tailor. I want you to follow your dreams, and never lose sight of what is important to you."_

_At the mentioning of his father, Fanny looked back at Skye._

_"Skye, baby, would you be so good, and give us a second?"_

_Skye just nodded silently and stepped out of the room, reluctantly leaving Nick alone with Fanny._

_"Nicky," she began, when the door closed, leaving them alone, "there were so many things I couldn't tell you. I was afraid, I was scared what you would become, if I did." She was now solely focussing on Nick, her gaze determined and meaningful. "My last wish for you Nick, is to take this journal."_

_She reached with her free paw under her pillow and pulled out a thick journal, bound in fake brown leather. Its pages were yellow from age and it was heavier than it looked like, as Nick took it in his trembling paw._

_"It is your father's journal. Everything you need to know, all your questions will be answered with this."_

_Her gaze suddenly hardened, as she tightened her grip on Nick._

_"Don't let it fall into the wrong paws, Nick. Promise me, not to tell another living soul about this. Not even Skye."_

_Nick numbly nodded, not understanding the gravity of the book in his lap. Before he could ponder further on the meaning behind her words, he felt her grip loosen. His head jerked up to look at the lynx's face, and his heart froze as her eyes were closed, her chest barely rising, her breaths hardly audible._

_"Mom!", Nick exclaimed, grabbing Fanny's paw tighter, his heart breaking over losing the most important woman in this life. Upon hearing her brother's cry, Skye bursted into the room, rushing by his side and barely managing to hear their mother's last words, as the two adolescent foxes were now left alone in the world, nothing else to hold onto than each other._

_"I love you, my babies."_

_-o-_

_Five years later_

_Nick sat in his office, his head slumped between his shoulders, his body tired from a hard day of work. He had managed to find himself a tailor shop, establishing his own store. Inheriting his father's talent, he named his tailor shop accordingly 'Wilde & Son's'. The office was small and crampy, but nonetheless big enough for the tod. A single desk lamp gave him light, as he looked through the pages in his journal, his father's journal._

_It felt surreal to Nick. He didn't know anything about his parents, not even their names, and now he was reading the only legacy of his father that was left behind. And as Nick was reading it for the last five years, he understood how grave this particular journal was._

_The first time he looked at the journal, he thought it was a joke. A cruel joke from his dying mother, as revenge for almost burning down her diner._

_But after reading further and further, he slowly understood._

_All those years his father had spent collecting the knowledge, he had summarized them into this journal. All of his knowledge on the Magnolia Family, on Familiars, on Blessed Items, and the Principle of Equivalent Exchange. Of course Nick only read the parts that seemed important, so there were still a lot of pages he didn't spare a second glance._

_But Nick finally understood the power that was slumbering inside him, and he had spent the last few years training his body and mind, to control his abilities. Only descendants of the Magnolia Family were able to execute this kind of magic._

_Before Nick could summon his Familiar, Nick needed to understand, that his body and soul were in fact not one, but two separate elements._

_In order to summon a Familiar, his soul needed to be extracted and separated from his body, his vessel. After an excruciatingly long process, Nick managed to summon his very own Familiar. It was amazing, to see the very same offspring of his mind and soul, sitting on its hind legs in front of him, emerald eyes glowing. Nick actually felt safe in the presence of the spirit, as if it would protect him with its life._

_But not every kind of magic inside the journal was meant for doing good things. As fun as it was to summon a Familiar, the point of having one was not as fun._

_Familiars follow their Master's order to the T, so if the Master wanted them to jump, they jump. If they wanted them to run, they run. If the Master wanted them to kill and maim, they would do it without second thought._

_What disturbed Nick even more, as he looked through his journal, was the fact that Familiars could be trained, to become stronger and faster. But you only had so much soul in your body, as you already have. So how could someone strengthen one's soul?_

_Through equivalent exchange._

_In order to strengthen one's Familiar, the Master must sacrifice a part of his physical body, whether it being a finger, or a leg. The biggest exchange for power is the sacrifice of one's five senses. The empirical senses were the nexus between the physical and psychic world, so sacrificing them was cutting of a big part of one's body, therefore an immense boost for one's Familiar._

_Nick couldn't grasp how someone was willingly maiming themselves, for what? Power?_

_It seemed ridiculous._

_But as Nick was standing in his studio apartment nine years later with two rabbits and a deadly threat outside his doorstep, he started to reconsider his options._


	8. Going Awry

_"Anything that can possibly go wrong, does."_

_-Murphy's Law_

_Magnolia? Familiars? Spirits? What?_

Judy stood dumbfounded before Jack and Nick, after they had tried to explain to her what they believed had happened. Apparently Jack's wife, an arctic vixen named Skye, was abducted by an underground group called the _Magnolia Family_. As if the fact that an unknown criminal organization existed wasn't a bombshell in and of itself, but when Nick had told her that they were also able to _summon spirits from their soul_ , she definitely lost track.

For a moment she believed they were kidding, that this was just some kind of really bad joke, but after watching their serious and glum expressions...

...she still couldn't help but to chuckle.

"Seriously?" she nervously chuckled, "Are you guys expecting me to believe that? What, spirits and demons? If this isn't ridiculous, then I don't know what is."

Upon her reaction, Jack visibly deflated, but Judy continued nonetheless.

"I mean like, really? I would've believed you guys, if you had even told me that... I don't know, aliens or something had abducted your wife, if that wife of yours is even real," she said accusingly, now focussing on the hare, who was standing completely still. Nick on the other paw had crossed his arms, an exasperated look apparent on his face.

Judy couldn't help but to grow angrier by the minute. She had been genuinely trying to help, but those two instead decided to prank her?

Suddenly, a thought popped up inside her head.

"Hold on a minute," she began, a furred finger pointed accusingly at the two males, "is this some kind of _punishment_ for my behavior earlier? 'Cause if it is, then I guess we're done here."

She turned around towards the door, not wanting to stay here another minute longer. She came here, determination burning inside of her to prove herself, and now she was ridiculed, embarrassed and patronized! She finally had enough. She would go home, take a _very long_ shower, and try to shove the memories of this day back to the depths of her mind.

Nick and Jack couldn't say anything, as the bunny strode quickly towards the door, an annoyed expression apparent on her face, brows furrowed and ears erect. Nick couldn't help but to think that she actually looked quite cute when she was angry.

Before Nick could quip another snarky remark, his purple nose suddenly twitched, catching a foreign scent. He frowned as he tried to locate the scent, but when he finally made sense of what he was smelling, it was already too late.

Jack was trying to stop Judy, stepping forward with his arm reaching out to her as he finally opened his mouth. "Wait, Judy, it's not…"

He never finished his sentence, as the rabbit officer ferociously swung the broken door open, revealing a rather tall white wolf standing in the hallway. Surprised, Judy looked up and stared into his ruby eyes, not expecting a visitor at this time.

She wanted to greet the new visitor, as something clicked inside her mind. _That's the passerby from earlier!_ Before she could ask what he was doing here, the white wolf suddenly smirked, his ruby eyes flashing dangerously.

The next moments seemed like a blur to Judy. Everything happened too fast. One second the wolf was standing in front her, in the next Nick was pulling her rather violently back, causing her to crash hard on the wooden floorboards. The air was pushed out of her lungs, as her vision suddenly started to get blurry.

As Judy was struggling to collect herself, Jack had been pushed back into the living room as well. As soon as Jack saw the white wolf standing in the doorway, he knew something was _very_ wrong. Before he knew it, Nick had pushed him and Judy out of the way, moving them just before a single-edged blade swung through where their heads used to be, the weapon seeming to appear out of nowhere.

Jack collected himself quickly, struggling to breath as the wounds on his shoulders started to throb again. He tried to pick himself up, but he suddenly froze at what he saw, blue eyes wide and mouth agape.

Before all the shit hit the fan, Nick knew that the white wolf standing in front of them was bad news. He had picked up his scent, and could practically smell the menace emanating from him. Knowing that he and his visitors were in immediate danger, he reacted quickly and threw himself forward, pulling Judy back inside the apartment after pushing Jack back into the living room. He knew Jack was injured and couldn't help much, while Judy was basically clueless as to what was happening.

What he didn't expect, was the wolf to actually brandish a long, glinting sword out of his long overcoat, barely missing Judy's head as he dove the deadly weapon for it, aiming to kill. But because of pushing Judy back, Nick had basically switched places with her, the blade now driving towards him. Seeing that, Nick quickly spun his body slightly to the side, catching the weapon between his torso and arm, while his paw tightly gripped the blade, trapping it and the wolf. The unknown wolf quickly tried to pull back his weapon, causing to cut Nick's paw deeply, red liquid already oozing out of his palm, dripping on the wood.

Nick ground his teeth, the pain stinging in his hand, as he reached with his free paw for the sword handle, reinforcing his trap. For almost a fraction of a second, Nick saw surprise in the glowing ruby eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a wild, almost excited look.

All of that happened in a time span of a second.

Judy finally managed to collect herself. As she was picking herself up, she was able to catch a glimpse of the wolf as he pulled his enormous paw back and sucker punched Nick in the gut, causing the vulpine to collapse on one knee. Nick's grip on the sword loosened and the wolf was able to pull his weapon back. But instead of finishing the fox kneeling on the ground before him, he kicked Nick harshly, causing him to fall back into his apartment, a sickening crunch audible as the foot connected with his snout.

Nick stumbled several feet backwards, managing to catch himself, gripping the wall for support as he reached with his other paw for his snout, his emeralds looking furiously at the attacker. This wolf had the audacity to just burst into his home and attack him! Sure, Judy had done the same a couple minutes ago, but then he had provoked her. This attack on him and his friends was completely uncalled for! Nick was determined to teach the wolf a lesson.

The wolf suddenly snapped his digits, a familiar light flickering forth before the black silhouette of a wolf with glowing red eyes stood before them. It was his Familiar.

 _This is bad_ , Nick thought, as he quickly analyzed the situation. Sure, the mystery wolf was technically outnumbered, but looking back at his friends, Nick couldn't help but grind his teeth in frustration. Jack was still injured, his wounds starting to bleed through his gauze from the impact, his face in a deep frown from the pain, so basically unfit for defending himself or others. Judy wasn't better off. Upon the sight of the Familiar standing before them, she instantly froze, amethyst eyes wide and pink nose furiously twitching. She was paralysed and unresponsive, so she was out as well.

And Nick, well, his palm was still bleeding profusely and his snout was throbbing. But out of the three, he was the only one right now who was able to defend himself.

So Nick quickly picked himself up and reconsidered his options. They were clearly overpowered. Their wolf adversary was huge, about five foot tall, an unstoppable force. Plus, he was armed and, if Nick had to guess, he was probably very skilled in swordsmanship. But the problem was, he wasn't alone. His just as huge Familiar was already treading forward, fangs bared and a deep growl emanating from its throat, ready to finish the job.

Secrets be damned, this is worse, Nick thought, as he finally decided what had to be done. Pushing himself from the wall, he raised his unharmed paw, snapping his fingers as well. After a short flicker of the lights, his trusted familiar, a pitch-black fox with glowing emerald eyes appeared by his side, ready to defend his Master and his friends.

Her nose just wouldn't stop twitching, as Judy sat on the floor, staring dumbfoundedly at what was happening in front of her. _Those are... those are fricking demons!_

Right there, a few feet in front of her, were two menacing beasts, as black as the night and eyes glowing like embers. Judy wasn't afraid.

_She was terrified._

Not able to stand up on her own, as her legs were trembling, she suddenly felt two paws on her shoulders, causing her to yelp in surprise. Looking up at familiar blue eyes, she quickly calmed down, her heart was still pounding at light speed, but she wouldn't die. For now.

Jack helped Judy stand up, as he tried to quickly pull them back from the imminent fight that was about to happen between the two canids. Struggling with the pain in his shoulders and chest, he panted while helping Judy, leading her deeper inside the apartment. As Judy's legs started to work again, they soon were running towards a room down the hall. Judging by the queen sized bed and the huge closet, it had to be Nick's bedroom.

As soon as they entered the room, they slammed the door closed and locked it, sealing themselves from the threat outside. Sliding down the doors the rabbits tried to catch their breaths, not realizing that they had trapped themselves.

Cypher was intrigued. Not only did the fox manage to get these puny rabbits out of the way, before he could turn them into rabbit kebabs, he also managed to catch his blade, and stopped him from attacking for a second, long enough for the rabbits to be out of danger. But now they were standing in the middle of the dark apartment, facing each other and their Familiars on their sides respectively.

Cypher smirked, "Well, color me impressed," he rumbled, "another Familiar. You know, I've never fought another Familiar before." His eyes were glinting menacingly, bloodthirst apparent in his smile. "Until now, my Familiar has only killed, never fought."

Nick didn't answer, the pain in his arm slowly ebbing away as he focussed his attention on the wolf in front of him. While Nick knew his way around summoning and controlling his Familiar, he was by no means a fighter. He preferred to evade fights by talking his way out, never even thinking of using his Familiar to fight. But now he didn't have much of a choice, for the wolf in front of him wouldn't be hustled easily.

Nick straightened himself, his arms hanging from his sides, eyes glowing fierce as he prepared to fight. He would defend his friends no matter what. This is what he wanted. This is what Fanny would have wanted.

"Let's see if that'll change tonight," Cypher continued, as his Familiar suddenly dashed forward, its speed and size letting it seem like Nick was about to be crushed by an oncoming train. He quickly jumped to the side, dodging the Familiar, while his beast attacked it straight on. The vulpine spirit gracefully jumped with ease over the wolf spirit, digging its claws deeply into its shoulders, its teeth bared to bite its opponent.

While the Familiars were busy with each other, Nick rushed inside the kitchen, quickly digging through the cabinets, looking for his only way to defend himself. Finally finding what he was looking for, he pulled out a 9mm handgun, lethal rounds. He knew that usual bullets wouldn't so much as scratch a Familiar, but this wouldn't be the case. This particular gun had been blessed by a special spell Nick had learned from his father's journal. Blessed weapons were the only way to harm a spirit, and Nick would bet good money that the wolf had also blessed his sword.

While Nick was scrambling to get his gun, the wolf spirit was able to throw Nick's Familiar off its shoulders, slamming it against the wall and hurling it through the apartment, breaking and crushing several pieces of furniture. Cypher lazily strolled to the vulpine spirit, which was in the progress of standing up, a growl in its throat. Cypher quickly sliced his sword through the spirit, causing it to vanish in thin air.

"Well, that was boring," Cypher mumbled, his Familiar already on its way to the kitchen to finish off the Master. Cypher had expected more from the fox. It had seemed so promising. But apparently he had overestimated that fox, "Oh well, let's just finish this job. I'm tired."

As he followed his Familiar towards the kitchen, his ears suddenly perked up from a loud bang around the corner. Rushing inside the apartment, he saw that fox standing ramrod straight in the tiled room, a handgun in his bloody paws pointing it straight at him, emeralds burning and ears tilted back. His Familiar was gone.

Understanding what had happened, a deep frown set into Cypher's face. A fire now burning in his ruby eyes. "Why you… _PELT_."

Cypher aggressively snapped his digits again, immediately his Familiar appeared again, though Nick could see that it was slightly weaker from being summoned again so soon. Its stance wasn't as steady, and the glow from its eyes was slightly dimmed. Nick raised his gun, prompting Cypher to duck around the corner. Seeing his opening, the fox quickly unloaded his clip in the enemy's general direction, not aiming to harm but to distract. Then he turned and fled through his apartment towards his bedroom, guessing the rabbits had hid themselves in there.

He increased his speed as he planned on running through the door, but instead he smacked rather painfully against the tightly locked door. Stumbling back, he rubbed his throbbing snout, made worse by the kick from earlier. "What the.. Carrots! Unlock the door now!"

Looking back, his eyes widened by the oncoming beast running towards him. "HURRY!"

Before he could utter another word, the beast pounced upon him, as the door finally opened and a grey furred paw pulled him quickly inside, before slamming the door closed, causing the beast to slam harshly against the wood.

Nick landed hard on his tail, as he laid sprawled out on the floor as he panted, trying to calm his racing heart. "What is... with you rabbits…. and doors?!" He exclaimed, panting between his words.

After barricading the door with a cabinet, Jack and Judy turned to stare at the bloody and ragged fox in surprise. After a second they helped the vulpine to his feet, but before they could say anything, a slim white blade punched through the door, sparkling in the moonlight from the window. Then a white furred fist crashed through the wood, sending splinters flying to and fro.

The trio yelped in surprise, pulling back into the bedroom as the wolf worked his way through the door and the cabinet. They reached the back wall of the room, basically trapped inside the room, and judging by what was left of the door, it was a matter of mere seconds before this room would turn into their casket. They had to come up with a plan quickly.

Thinking hurriedly, Nick formulated a plan that either could save their lives, or lead them to immediate death. Quickly evaluating the situation, Nick considered his plan far superior to being sliced apart by that lunatic wolf.

As he tucked his spent pistol into his pants for safe keeping, he said, "Alright, I know this sounds crazy, but quick! Everyone, group hug!"

Judy and Jack just stared at him dumbfounded, not expecting the sudden need for affection. But Jack quickly shrugged it off, figuring that his crafty friend had a plan. He threw his arms around the lanky torso, paws tightly gripping Nicks back fur.

Judy, on the other paw, was about to cry, not understanding the situation one bit. But it didn't deter her from hugging the vulpine and hare as well, at least looking for comfort while preparing for her imminent death. At least she would die surrounded by warm and soft fur…

But it never came, as Nick suddenly looped his long arms around the lapines, picking them up and hugging them closely. He rushed towards the window and just as he was about to jump, the world exploded around them, destroying the window and cracking the walls. Wood and glass were hurled around the trio as Cypher managed to burst through the door, just catching sight of the three as they disappeared out of the window into the cool night air.

Being airborne for a couple seconds, Judy lost her breath as they gained velocity, hurtling towards the asphalt beneath them and to their imminent deaths. Jack kept his eyes closed, teeth grinding from the excruciating pain in his torso from all the exertion.

Nick quickly snapped his fingers while in the air, summoning his weakened Familiar, making it curl its body around the trio, trying to protect them from the impact. The Familiar did absorb most of the impact, but immediately dispelled, dropping them painfully on the sidewalk, knocking the breath from their sore bodies.

But Nick knew they couldn't keep laying out on the streets. The white wolf was already stepping through the window, ready to give chase. Nick quickly forced his body up, scrambling to his feet as he collected the rabbits into his arms and rushed down the streets.

Cypher landed with ease on the sidewalk, taking off at a run as he steadily gained on the trio. Nick had barely made it ten feet before he realized he couldn't run any further. With how many spells he had used and now carrying the now unconscious Jack and paralysed Judy in his arms, his body was at its limit. Just as he was about to collapse, he noticed a huge police cruiser standing on the sidewalk. Knowing it must have been Judy's, a plan quickly formed inside his head. He collected his last energy and rushed forward, carrying the rabbits in his arms towards the cruiser.

As they moved, Judy slowly rose out of her shock induced trance. She noticed what Nick was about to do and as they closed in on her cruiser she hurriedly reached inside her belt and pulled out the car key.

The lights flashed and the locks disengaged just they got in arms length. Nick pulled the door open with one paw and hurled the rabbits inside car before throwing himself in after them. Closing the door behind him, he let out a sigh of relief, relishing the precious seconds of safety the armoured car provided.

But Cypher, who was mere meters away from the car, wasn't about to let them get away. "Oh no you don't," he growled as he pulled his sword back before thrusting his blade with immense speed towards one of the tires, destroying it and Nick's hasty escape plan.

"Shit!" Nick hissed as the tire exploded just as he was about to ignite the engine. As if a broken tire wasn't enough, a train-like force suddenly hit them from the side, causing the three inhabitants to tumble around the interior. Bits of broken glasses hit them painfully, causing them to flinch at the pain. As Nick picked himself up, to see what hit them, he saw a black wolf with glowing eyes ramming the car repeatedly. The wolf's Familiar was demolishing the car.

Cringing at the situation, Nick tried to think of another plan, but unfortunately, for the first time in Nick's life, he didn't know what to do.

Cypher was about to reach the car, his sword dangerously sharp and ready to slice them into pieces. Additionally, a savage beast was trapping them inside the demolished car wreck. They were about to die, and Nick couldn't do anything but just sit there, surrounded by splinters of glass.

There's one way left, a voice inside Nick whispered. Nick knew what the last way was. He was painfully aware of the last chance for them to flee the scene alive. And Nick didn't like it one bit. Looking at his unconscious friends, he knew he didn't have much of a choice. It had to be done. For the sake of his friends.

Determination flamed up inside of Nick as he recalled a particular spell he had read inside his father's journal. A spell he had considered ridiculous. But now, it was a life saver.

Picking up a huge piece of broken glass, Nick took a deep breath, for what he was about to do would probably be the most painful thing he had ever done. Closing his eyes, he quickly murmured to spell from memory. He raised the shard and rammed it straight into his finger, digging through muscle and bone, ultimately cutting off his digit cleanly.

Excruciating pain shot through Nick's brain, his vision became blurry and white as he ground his teeth. Holding his now bleeding stump where his finger once was, he let out an anguish filled cry of pain.

The rabbits, hearing the cry, stirred from their slumber. They sat up, blinking at their surroundings as they tried to make sense of the situation. Jack was about to speak up, but he was suddenly picked up by a bloody paw and was hurled out of the now open car door onto something rather soft, yet cold. Before Jack knew what was happening, his cold and soft cushion started to move, and as Jack sat up, he finally saw what had happened.

Nick had cut off his finger in order to sacrifice a small part of his body, causing his Familiar to grow in size. Now, it was able to carry Nick and the two lapines easily, as they rode on the spirit away from Cypher to safety.

Nick was tightly gripping his wound, trying to stop the bleeding, as the rabbits slowly regained their senses. They collectively took a deep breath as they watched the white wolf disappear into the distance.

-o-

Cypher watched as the trio managed to escape him by riding on the Familiar. Frowning and grinding his teeth, Cypher had no choice but to accept that he yet again had failed to finish his mission.

He thought back to the chaos they had caused: From a destroyed apartment, to a broken window, and finally the completely wrecked police cruiser. He frowned even more.

 _Let the police handle this_ , he thought, as he walked back to his sedan. He had a failure to report to his boss.

-o-

The safehouse Nick was riding to was on the outskirts of Savannah Central, bordering the Canal and Rainforest District. He had found the location during his scouting for a tailor shop, and while the abandoned air hangar was completely deserted and of no use, Nick kept it in his memory as a possible safe haven, if ever something like this would happen.

He just never expected it to actually happen.

As they slowed down in front of the abandoned hangar, Judy noticed how deserted and barren the location was. For miles and miles, there was absolutely nothing but this hangar, trash and debris, and the swamps visible in the distance. This truly was a safehouse of sorts, and Judy finally started to relax for the first time tonight. It had been a very long day, and she definitely felt it..

Thoughts of a proper rest were interrupted when her mount suddenly vanished, causing her to land hard on her tail. Flummoxed, she looked up into the face of a furious fox staring down at her, his fangs bared and a growl in his throat.

"This is all your fault!" Nick exclaimed, his paw still gripping his other bloody paw.

Confused, Judy stood up and replied, "What are you talking about? You can hardly blame this whole… _shitfest_ on me!" Judy had never cursed before, but now she was reaching her limits. "Do you think I wanted this?"

Nick didn't answer, instead he reached behind her back and pulled a small device from her kevlar vest. "Oh yeah? This tells me something different!"

Before Judy could ask him what it was, Jack took it from Nick's paws, inspecting the device for a second, before sighing and throwing it on the ground, crushing the device under his foot. "It's a tracker."

Judy widened her mouth, not understanding how someone could've put a tracker on her without her knowledge. She was usually more attentive than that!

"I… I didn't know, I.. really.. Nick.." she sputtered, trying to explain herself in vain. Nick was having nothing from it. It might have been because he was under immense pain and beyond tired, but he couldn't control himself anymore.

"No, don't you say a word. You know what? We don't want your help anymore. All you've done until now is hurt us, and I've had enough!" he snarled, as Judy listened to his rant with ears slumped behind her head, and eyes staring shamefully at the ground. "I should've known better than to trust you." Nick practically spat.

"That's enough," Jack intervened, his face stern, as he looked Nick defiantly into his eyes, emerald fire against blue ice.

Nick straightened himself, never pulling his eyes away from Jack, anger still apparent on his face. "So now you're defending her? She's the reason we're in this shit! She should just get rid off her! And now you're _defending_ her?! Whose side are you on?"

"I'm on no one's side, Nick", Jack retorted calmly, yet firmly. "We're all in this together. One way or another, she's just as much as a victim as we are."

Nick didn't reply. He just stared Jack disbelievingly into his eyes, betrayal on his face. "I see, well then, _victim_. Until tomorrow then."

With that, he strode towards the hangar, pulling open the huge metal doors, before slipping into the darkness and leaving the rabbits alone. Jack followed him with his eyes silently, before Judy broke the silence.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, still looking at the ground, rubbing her arm. "I just wanted to help." Her voice was meek and low, tears beginning to well up in her amethyst eyes, causing them to sparkle in the faint moonlight. Her nose was twitching as she began to sniffle quietly.

Jack couldn't bear to see Judy like that. Never could. So after hesitating for a second, he finally spoke up. His voice calm and soothing. "You did nothing wrong, Judy. Don't blame yourself for something you had no control over."

"But-," she sobbed, as she was interrupted by Jack.

"No buts, Judy." He stepped forward and put his paws on her shoulder, trying to calm her sobbing. She looked him in the eyes, seeing friendly and loving blue eyes shining in the moonlight, and Judy couldn't help but to ease from his words. She still blamed herself for what had happened, but it felt good not to be alone.

She rubbed the tears from her eyes as she looked into Jack's eyes.

"Thanks," she said genuinely, "I'm better now."

Jack smiled and pulled her into a quick hug, before Judy parted again.

"But I still need to apologize to him," she said, as she looked towards the hangar, where she knew Nick was.

Jack said nothing, as he just nodded. "I'm going to stay awake for a while, don't wait for me." Judy nodded, as she smiled back at him, wishing him good night before vanishing inside the darkness of the hangar.

His smile faded, as soon as Judy was gone, and he turned towards the moon, looking up at the sky. Being so far out from the city, the light pollution wasn't as bad, causing the stars to actually sparkle magically in the dark blue night sky. Looking up at the infinite dark, he now truly felt alone and small.

A lot had happened in the last hours, and Jack had basically no time to properly digest all everything. But now he was finally able to catch up on the facts.

His wife was missing. His love. His Skye.

Jack didn't know if he would ever see her again. With his knowledge of Magnolia, he doubted that would be the case. But Jack was never the one to give up on hope easily. He would find her, no matter what.

As he looked up at the full moon, relishing in the cool air, he whispered quiet words, hoping Skype could hear them, wherever she was.

"Goodnight, my love."

-o-

As Judy was wandering cluelessly through the maze of junk that was the air hangar interior, she swiveled her ears around the dark, trying to find what she was looking for. She could still smell his musky smell drifting around, evidence that he had walked down this path. Her ears could make out the faint shuffling of someone around the corner, and as she closed in on the sound, she could make out dim lights shining from inside a room in the back of the hangar. The air was stale and dusty, as she took a deep breath, steadying herself before she entered the small room.

Inside looked like an office, small and cramped, yet dry and warm. A single window revealed the outside world, while cabinets filled with files and junk stood around the room. Nick sat on a small stool, in front of him an emergency kit, several tools like gauze and scissors laid our on the floor.

His bloody left paw was now missing a finger, apparent from the drenched gauge around where his finger used to be.

Judy cringed at the thought, that she indirectly was responsible for the maiming of the fox. She recalled his words from earlier, and couldn't help but feel the shame well up inside of her, as well as the tears in her eyes. She truly had hurt him. From the very beginning they have met she had attacked him, assaulted him, and now she had maimed him. Nothing would ever make this up, no matter what she did, she would always be in his debt.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the vulpine spoke up, his back turned towards her, his expression unseen.

"I'm sorry for going off on you," his voice was calm and low, the complete opposite of the fox that had yelled at her moments ago, he sighed, "I was tired- am tired, and I had no right to just blame this on you."

He turned around to look at her, his eyes lacking the animosity he usually aimed towards her. Instead she saw something else. She saw regret.

After not responding for a while, but just standing in the doorway staring at the fox, Nick decided to again turn his back towards her. He began to clean up the emergency kit, as he again spoke up.

"You should go to sleep. We have a lot to do tomo-"

"I am the one who needs to apologize."

Upon interruption, Nick turned around, gazing at Judy with slightly surprised eyes. He quickly regained his composure, as she stood up and walked towards her, body slumped and tired.

"I'm sorry for bursting down your door, I'm sorry for hurting you, I'm sorry for everything," as she rambled her apology, her gaze fell to the ground, tears now leaking freely down her face, as she sobbed, "I'm sorry for being such a dumb bunny. And I… I hope you c.. can forgive me! And…"

Before she could keep rambling, she was suddenly interrupted, as Nick pulled her into a hug, burying her face into his coarse chest fur, resting his snout between her ears, his arms around her. Upon contact, Judy instantly relaxed, now crying into his fur, as she took in his scent. Surprisingly, his musky scent didn't repulse her, instead, it truly soothed her nerves. Still, it felt like a very long time before she stopped crying.

She pulled away from Nick, as she rubbed the last tears out of her eyes, sniffing, "Thanks, Nick, I-"

"I forgive you," Nick interrupted. Judy looked up at him with wide eyes, not expecting him to forgive her that easily. But she quickly regained her composure, considering herself lucky for his forgiveness instead of pondering on why.

She smiled up at him as amethyst connected with emeralds, and he smiled back at her, eyes sparkling just as much as hers, as she returned his words.

"I forgive you, too."

-o-

The white wolf entered the wide room with reluctant steps, as he closed in on the mammal sitting on the other side of the room. The room was fairly big, square in form and dimly lit from lanterns hanging from the walls. It was decorated very traditionally, eastern culture apparent on the dominating colors of red and gold. Scented smoke around him as Cypher kneeled down, his head bowed slightly as he greeted his superior, who sat on a pillow in front of the window.

"I have returned, Sir," he said in a low tone, his eyes staring at the ground respectfully.

His superior didn't answer, his back turned towards him. He wore a traditional, flowing robes of the eastern culture, sitting calmly on his knees, not one muscle moving. On the back of his attire, a black circle decorated the expensive silk dress. Inside the circle was depicted a white flower, symbolizing dignity and purity. A Magnolia. Merely a slight turn of his head acknowledged Cypher's presence.

A tense silence layered in the air, as Cypher took his superior's silence as a sign to continue.

"I have failed again to complete the assignment, Sir," Cypher bowed his head further, "I beg for forgiveness."

The mammal still didn't reply. He merely turned his head back to stare straight ahead. Cypher continued hurriedly.

"But I do have great news, Sir," he finally looked up, ruby eyes burning as he stared at the back of his superior, "I have found another Magnolia, a red fox."

Still, his superior remained silent. Cypher's heart was racing. There weren't many mammals who he truly feared, but his boss emanated a particular aura that just froze his blood inside his veins. And as his superior slowly raised himself to stand on his feet, Cypher turned his gaze back to the ground.

As his superior spoke, his voice was calm, but lacking any warmth.

"You have failed, and you bring a poor excuse of _great news,_ " he began slowly, still not turning around, "is that all you have to say?"

Cypher remained silent, not moving a single muscle. His superior barely nodded.

"Well then. I am willing to grant you another chance, Cypher," he continued, his voice suddenly gaining a tiny sparkle, yet hot enough to make Cypher sweat, "but if you fail again..."

His boss let the words hang in the air for a while, as he continued.

"Though you will not be working alone this time. To ensure success, I am assigning two more family members to this case. They will help you finish your task. If my intuition is right, the amount of targets has increased to three. Am I right?"

Cypher just nodded.

"Good. Now get ready," and as Cypher was about to get up to leave the room, now filled with the uncomfortable aura, the fire inside the lanterns suddenly died, turning the room pitch black. Not a single ray of light entered the room, as Cypher was surrounded by nothing but darkness. The only thing Cypher could see was his superior still facing away from him. But his words were enough to freeze his heart.

"This is your last chance, Cypher."


	9. Communication Is Key

_"We're all islands shouting lies to each other across seas of misunderstanding."_

_-Rudyard Kipling, The Light That Failed_

The night was silent. The dark blue sky slowly changed to a violet hue as the sun slowly rose over the horizon. Long shadows creeped up the buildings of Zootopia and the inhabitants of the diverse metropolis began to rise to meet the day. The slumbering city was awakening.

As the sun made its way to its zenith, a rather large bulk protruding from a queensized bed standing in a modest apartment slowly stirred from its deep sleep. Muscular arms stretched out of the bed sheets, a wide chest slowly inhaled, just so it could let out the air with a deep sigh. The Chief of Police has awoken.

Bogo wasn't sure when was the last time he had had a good sleep since his long career as a police officer began, but, while his sleep that night wasn't excellent, it was refreshing nonetheless. Laying in his bed, not yet ready to get out, Bogo organized his thoughts, getting a rough gist over his schedule today. Ranging from briefing to interviews, and from patrolling to the oh so popular paperwork, it would be a busy day.

And there would be nothing more pleasant for Bogo, if everything would just go according to plan.

But luck didn't seem to be on the buffalo's side, as his phone suddenly rang. The device, laying on the nightstand, rang an annoying default ringtone, and immediately Bogo's headache returned. The buffalo groaned in exasperation, already fed up. But he had a duty to fulfill, an oath he had sworn to protect his citizens.

So Bogo begrudgingly reached for his phone and took the call without even sparing the screen a glance, not caring who interrupted his morning routine.

"Bogo," he grunted while rubbing the sleep from his face. Slowly he sat up on his bed, readying himself mentally what the mammal on the other side of the line had to say.

"Sir, we have a situation," the usually bubbly voice of Clawhauser lacked its joy, causing Bogo to frown suspiciously. If Clawhauser lost his joyful demeanor, then something was really wrong. He had to take this seriously. Bogo swung his legs over the edge and sat upright, now fully invested into the report. The cheetah's next word released a tidal wave of different types of migraines into the buffalo's head, as if the headache from the whole day was channeling itself into this very moment.

_"Sir… it's about Hopps."_

-o-

As soon as Bogo had heard about what happened from Clawhauser, he seemed skeptical, but he knew he needed to check it out. Sure, the cheetah tended to exaggerate with his descriptions, but more often than not his reports were accurate to a T.

So Bogo locked his doubts away for the time being as he sat in his police cruiser, already on his way to the crime scene. It was a downtrodden neighborhood on the outskirts of Downtown Zootopia, and while police activity was higher in these parts of the town, crime still made its way into the streets.

Bogo ignored the obvious dealings and loiterings from sketchy mammals, as he had an emergency case to worry about. He finally rounded the corner and reached the crime scene, and what he saw caused him to slam the brakes, his eyes wide in awe.

There, in front of him, the whole street was an absolute mess. Glass splinters, debris, shards of metal and wood were lying here and there around the whole area. Mammals of all sizes, probably tenants and curious neighbors, were congregating around the scene, already secured by yellow police tapes, as police officers from his precinct were wandering to and fro, trying to keep the civilians out of the way. Forensics and EMTs were already at the scene, gathering what evidence they could.

Bogo stepped out of his car, glass splinters cracking under his heavy hooves as he strode forward towards the secured scene, taking in the catastrophe with wide eyes. This was a disaster! It looked like a bomb detonated in his city, under his watch, completely unbeknownst to him. And as his eyes wandered around the scene, until finally falling upon an utterly crushed wreck of a former police cruiser, his blood began to boil.

Only one Officer had taken out a cruiser from the precinct pool. Only one Officer had any business in this neighborhood to begin with. And only one single Officer was able to give him a migraine to this extent.

 _"Hopps,_ " he grumbled under his breath, infuriated by the incompetence of his smallest Officer. He had assigned her to one single case, regarding a drunk call. He had given her a chance, to solve this one single case. And still, she managed to wreck a whole neighborhood, a police cruiser, and his overall trust in her.

She would get an earful for this. Bogo mumbled under his breath, already rehearsing what he would bark into her long ears until they were bloody, before he would have her badge. Enough was enough. But first he needed to find her.

His eyes scanned the area, trying to find the lapine, his blood already boiling and ready to release his ire on her little body, as a paw suddenly tapped his shoulder, causing him to spin around, nostrils flared and brow furrowed.

In front of him, a female bengal tiger stood at attention, waiting for her Chief to calm down, as the buffalo slightly relaxed.

"Fangmeyer, status report," he growled in a low tone, still angry, but not directed at her. Noticing this, the tigress decided to speak up.

"Sir, several witness reports stated that around 2:30 this morning a loud ruckus had woken up half of the neighborhood. They reported," she glanced at her notepad, "glass breaking, shouts, gunshots, and the sound of metal being demolished."

She glanced back towards the scene, speaking over her shoulder to her superior.

"Judging by the state of the police cruiser, that must have been the sound."

Bogo followed her gaze, looking at the wrecked police cruiser. Visible dents and scratches covered the whole exterior, the windows were completely missing, now lying shattered on the ground. It was a complete wreck, ready for the dumpster.

 _What the hell did this_ , Bogo thought, and for the first time since knowing Hopps, he _actually_ worried about her well-being. Sure, Bogo might appear stoic and as if he didn't care, but he did care. About his Officers, about the citizens of this city, and about mammals in general. That was why he had become Chief. Because he cared.

And now here he was, witnessing hell on earth, a cruiser of one of his officers wrecked, who yet had to be found.

"Fangmeyer, where is Hopps?", he growled, masking his rising concern.

The tigress looked back at her superior, her brows furrowed.

"Well, as of yet, we haven't found her. Her radio isn't responding, and the last mammal that had seen her was Clawhauser, who saw her running out of the Precinct," she reported, her voice remaining professional and flat.

Bogo merely snorted. _So she's missing. Figures._

"What has forensics found?"

The tigress returned her gaze towards the scene, looking for a certain mammal. Upon finding a grey furred wolf, she waved him towards the two of them. The wolf, wearing a white bodysuit in order not to compromise any evidence, caught her waving and immediately made his way towards the tigress and buffalo.

Fangmeyer waited for the wolf to stop in front of them, then ordered, "Report what you have found."

The wolf shifted his gaze towards the towering buffalo, his paw reaching towards his shirt pocket and pulling out a small clear zipper bag, in it a small strand of fur.

"We have found this strand of fur inside the apartment, from where the struggle had started-"

"Wait, struggle?" Bogo interrupted.

The wolf continued, handing his Chief the bag, who took it into his large hooves, inspecting it. "Yes, struggle. From the signs of destruction and blood," Bogo's gaze returned to the wolf upon hearing that word, his eyes slightly widened, but he didn't interrupt the wolf, "we can assume safely, that Officer Hopps was involved in a fight. From the scent and fur strands inside the apartment, we can assume it was a fox den. The tenant is also missing."

Bogo frowned upon that report. What business did his Officer have at a _fox's_ apartment?

"We also found the fur strand you are holding right now, Chief," he pointed towards the clear bag. "From the scent we could tell that it was from a wolf, and..."

The wolf suddenly stopped his report, now frowning slightly. Bogo caught up on his strange behavior. "What is it?"

The canine seemed to collect his thoughts, as he finally spoke up, reluctance apparent in his voice. "There is something you need to see, Chief."

Bogo followed the forensic tech up the stairs of the apartment complex, evading several questions from the present news outlets, who apparently had caught wind from the situation, as well as curious apartment tenants. Fangmeyer followed closely behind.

They quickly ascended the building and entered the apartment. Just as expected, the interior of the medium sized apartment was just as wrecked as the streets. Furniture was lying crushed to and fro, wood and glass everywhere. Here and there Bogo could make out blood stains, already secured and marked by forensics.

As they were making their way through the destroyed place, they stopped at a wooden door, or rather the remains of what used to be a door, at the end of the hallway.

The broken door hung slightly from its hinges, a rather large hole gaping at about chest height of Bogo. The tech pointed at said hole, as Bogo focused on it, noticing the door lead to a just as wrecked bedroom.

"As you can see, a hole the size of a watermelon is gaping about six feet above the ground, most likely caused by a fist, judging from the claw marks around the hole," the wolf began. "We can already rule out Officer Hopps and the apartment owner, as their heights don't extend past three foot. That leaves the wolf, from whom we have found the fur sample."

Bogo looked back at the clear bug, a white fur sample in it. He knew already where this was going.

"So whoever had punched that hole into the wall," Fangmeyer spoke up, her clawed finger tapping her chin in thought, "had to be about five foot or taller. But that doesn't make any sense. The average height of a wolf is about five feet, at most five and a half. A seven foot tall wolf is just ridiculous."

Fangmeyer crossed her arms, looking skeptically at the wolf in white garbs. He mimicked her expression and raised a brow. "Then how do you explain the white fur we have found all over the apartment? From the scent, it's obvious that it must've been a canine."

"So what you are telling me is, that we are looking for a possibly six foot tall wolf, and as if that isn't terrifying enough, Officer Hopps is also missing?" Fangmeyer asked, causing Bogo to frown, deep concern edged into his features.

A seven foot tall wolf, and a tiny rabbit and fox. Bogo didn't like the situation one bit. The thought of assigning a rookie Officer to a seemingly simple case, and then ending up getting her killed by some mutant wolf didn't sit right with Bogo. He needed to find that wolf, he needed answers, and fast.

He shot the wolf forensic a stern look, his voice low. "I want answers, immediately. Look into the fur sample, and get that wolf."

With that Bogo departed from the scene. He had a Precinct to brief.

-o-

Sunlight crept into the dusty air hangar through the dirty windows in the ceiling, illuminating the decrepit building only in part. Several crates and boxes, unknown shapes hidden under dusty tarps, debris and junk were lying to and fro around the area. To a passerby it looked like an abandoned piece of history, a building symbolizing an idea and a future that had never been fulfilled.

But if someone would look more closely, especially deeper inside the building, they would find rooms, chambers, and areas that resembled more a doomsday bunker than an air hangar; beside the control rooms and the offices one would expect to find in a place like this, down a few twisting hallways that ran deeper into the hangar, one would find a thick steel door. And behind that door one would find shelves upon shelves filled with cans of food and bottles of water, different kinds of provisions, junk and trash, and most importantly three little bundles of blankets on the floor.

One bundle began to stir from its slumber, its regular breathing shifting. Two droopy black-tipped gray ears slowly rose from the bundle, as the rabbit let out an exhausted yawn, her large buck teeth visible for the whole world to see.

Even though the sunlight couldn't reach these parts of the hangar, Judy's natural clock told her to get up and to get ready for work. Stretching her back and limbs from sleeping on the cold and uncomfortable ground, her tired amethysts slowly looked around her sleeping place. As a prey animal, she found it hard to actually see something in the dark. While her eyesight left a lot to be desired, her long ears swiveled around the room, making out faint snoring, one lighter than the other, from somewhere a few feet away.

Still half-awake Judy tried to figure out where she actually was, as her memory of the last night seemed like a blur to her. But slowly the memories and realization dawned upon her mind, as she finally remembered.

It seemed so surreal, so impossible, she would've doubted every second of it, if she hadn't experienced it first hand. She had just wanted to solve her first case, and before she knew it, she was pulled along into something more sinister, something more complex, and, foremost in her mind, something she couldn't grasp.

 _Spirits? Magnolia? And now a missing wife?_ Upon the thought of the missing wife, her mind wandered towards her lapine counterpart, and she could slowly feel heat creeping up her ears, as she remembered the well-built shirtless body of the buck...

Judy quickly shook her head and with it her thoughts regarding the buck. What had gotten into her?! Sure, Jack was quite good looking for a rabbit, and her parents would be lucky for her if she could find someone like him. But there were several reasons why she couldn't see herself with him; Firstly, Jack was a married rabbit. And rabbits mate for life, so it's a huge no-go for Judy to even consider something like this. And secondly, Judy had never been a rabbit to just go ahead and find a rabbit attractive, not to mention to date.

Contrary to popular belief, Judy considered herself rather.. inexperienced in such matters. And not because she was shy or something, no she was rather outgoing. No, she just never saw a reason for herself to pursue a romantic relationship. There had just never been someone who she truly connected to, and it didn't bother Judy. She had her job as a police officer, she lived her dream, and that was enough for her. If she would pursue a relationship, love would find her, and not vice versa.

Thinking about the buck, her thought suddenly shifted to the moment, when she had first met him. He had been frozen in place, completely paralyzed upon seeing her, and all he had been able to mutter was her first name. While Judy thought about his reaction, wild speculations and guesses swirled around her head.

_Was he… ogling me!? Did he fall for me?! Oh sweet cheese and crackers!_

Heat rose into her cheeks and ears as she further thought about Jack. What was she thinking?! She couldn't have these thoughts about him, much less towards a grieving widower! His wife was missing for Pete's sake! Quickly shaking her head, she forced her blush away as she rose from her blanket. Taking careful steps forward, she tried to find a way out of the room, or at least for a light switch or something. The air was stale and sticky, and the lack of windows made it all the worse.

As Judy was trying to make her way around the darkness, she suddenly tripped on something soft, causing her to stumble and fall over rather unceremoniously. Yelping in surprise, she landed on the soft something. Not knowing what was happening, she struggled to stand up, her knees and elbows knocking into several spots of the soft cushion.

"Wha…. Ow! What the?! Carrots!" the cushion suddenly yelped, as it shifted, causing Judy to slide from the 'cushion' onto the cold floor. Landing rather harshly she rubbed the sore spots, before realizing, from the voice and unmistakable scent of fox, that she must've been fallen on Nick, much to her embarrassment.

"Nick! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there," she began to apologize into the darkness sheepishly, as she still couldn't see a thing. She could only hear a faint grunting and Nick mumbling something under his breath about rabbits being the death of him, then soft pawsteps walking away from her.

Judy was about to speak up, but a sudden wave of light filled the room and she quickly closed her eyes from the sudden shift. Slowly blinking her eyes open, she saw Nick standing by the door, his paw still on the lightswitch next to it. He was rubbing his head, a rather annoyed expression on his face, brows furrowed and ears flat.

"Next time you kick me in the head, Fluff, a warning would be nice," he grumbled, before he opened the steel door and left the room while mumbling something about coffee.

Her ears fell behind her head, as her gaze followed the tod. She wanted to apologize for her clumsy behavior, and for her apparent tendency to physically hurt the poor fox. A voice shifted her attention.

"Don't worry about him. After he gets his coffee, he will be way more approachable. Sort of," Jack slurred, still half-asleep from across the room. He too was now waking up slowly from the ruckus and began to sit up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. During the process, his blanket fell from his upper body, revealing his bare chest, as he had been sleeping shirtless. Upon seeing him basically half naked, Judy quickly shifted her gaze towards the ceiling, trying her hardest to hide her blush as she sky-rocketed from the ground and to the door, while refusing to even look in the same direction of the buck.

"Sorrygottapee!" she shot out rapidly and with that she was gone, leaving a rather perplexed hare sitting alone on the ground.

-o-

After her embarrassing ordeal towards the two males, Judy refused to make eye contact with either of them. Not that she had a problem spending her time alone with two males, as she grew up around hundreds of brothers and other male relatives during her childhood. What _did_ get to her, was the fact that she had basically bashed the head of one of them, while not being able to look into the eye of the other without blushing furiously.

 _What is happening to me?!_ Judy thought desperately. This situation was horribly out of character for her. She had never been this clumsy and sheepishly before, so she couldn't understand why she was reacting this way around those two.

While Judy had a silent breakdown, she didn't realize the fox and hare were watching her with amusement dancing in their eyes.

"Have you noticed that her ears droop sideways whenever she is embarrassed?" Nick whispered to Jack, who responded with a short nod, amusement written on his face.

"Yep, it's a dead giveaway that she wants to cover her blush on her face with her ears."

The tod nodded, taking a sip from his coffee, relishing the warmth as it diffused through his body. It did wonders for him, as he was still recovering from the numerous injuries he had suffered during the fight with that damned wolf. His gaze fell upon his left paw, now missing a digit.

 _Tailoring suits is gonna be a pain in the tail_ , he thought bitterly. Besides the numbing pain, missing a finger would require some getting used to on his part, and after this whole ordeal, Nick wasn't sure if he even could return to tailoring. Too many things were at stake, including his life and the lives of his friends.

 _Seems like Wilde & Son's will be on break for a while_, he silently sighed, as he returned his attention towards the rabbits. They were currently sitting at a makeshift table in a cantina kitchen, each of them silently nursing their own mug of morning brew.

Nick noticed how uncomfortable the air inside the room was, and he knew exactly the reason for that; the rabbit in police gear sitting across from him. Her ears were visibly droopy, her nose twitching, and shoulders slumped. While she had stopped blushing, her amethyst eyes were staring blankly on the table, apparently sunk into deep thoughts.

Nick didn't know what he should think of her. The first time they met, he was reluctant to even give her the time of the day, as she had treated him rather rudely. Sure, he had provoked it, but he hadn't expected her to right out assault him.

On the other paw, he still couldn't deny that he wasn't opposed to the idea of having her around. Sure, she was a boat load of work to deal with, but after yesterday night he couldn't help but to reconsider his opinion towards her.

 _She cares_ , Nick thought as he remembered her genuine apology. How she cried into his shoulder, apologizing profusely for her behavior towards him. Life as a fox hardly ever gave him anything as much as a genuine apology. He frowned, as he also remembered how he had hugged her. What had gotten into him? He barely knew her, and he just went about hugging her! He quickly brushed it off as a weak moment, since he was injured and they were all tired. What had happened had no significance, and that was it.

Thinking about the female rabbit, brought his thoughts towards the other rabbit beside him. Glancing at Jack out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the buck staring at his sister rather… lovingly. Nick couldn't help but frown at the sight. Something was happening between those two, and Nick couldn't figure out what. He was usually better at this stuff. But not wanting to waste more time on that topic, Nick quickly shook the thoughts out of his head, deciding he would ask Jack later. They had more pressing matters.

"We need a plan," upon this, the rabbits shifted their attention towards the fox.

"After yesterday, we know for sure that the Magnolia Family is behind all this," Nick began, his voice firm and even, "but we don't know _enough_. Heck, we hardly know anything. We need intel in order to know what we are up against."

"Wait wait wait," Judy interrupted, her gaze questioningly, "You guys don't know what is happening? I thought I was the clueless one here!"

"All we know is that they have the same abilities as Nick here," Jack spoke up, pointing at Nick while remaining his gaze on Judy, "and that they are after Skye and me, particularly that giant wolf."

"If we want to find Skye, we need more than that," Nick added, as he watched understanding dawning upon Judy's face. But she didn't seem satisfied yet.

"What did you do that brought them after you?" she asked curiously, wanting to know how Jack and his wife had become a target of such a phantom gang. Upon the question, Jack seemingly clamped up, his gaze falling upon the table, a frown apparent on his face. Her question unanswered, Judy shifted her gaze towards Nick, expecting him to explain the situation. But he was looking at Jack just as expectantly.

After a few moments, Jack opened his mouth, just to close it again, not knowing how he should approach that matter. He couldn't just outright say it. Sure, he trusted Nick with his life, and he trusted Judy just as much, but they weren't ready for the truth. No, the truth needed to wait.

"I can't say," Jack finally said, his gaze again locking with Judy's, as he spoke firmly, "not now, at least."

Nick stared a little longer, silently demanding a clear answer, but he knew pressing Jack wouldn't do any good, so he let it slide for now.

"Anyways, this air hangar here is basically an atomic bunker, completely unknown and hidden and having an actual bunker underground makes this the perfect hiding spot. No one will find us here," Nick said confidently, "now all we need is information. And I know exactly where to get it."

"You do?", Jack asked, relieved they had chanced the topic. Nick nodded, though a reluctant expression on his face.

"Yeah, there's just one problem. After what happened yesterday, I doubt either one of us can safely leave this hangar. If anyone of us is spotted, they will kill us instantly. And the thing we need is my journal."

"What's so important about that journal?" Judy asked, her head cocked sideways, appearing rather adorable. Not that Nick would ever say it.

"It used to be my father's. He had written down everything he knew about the Magnolia's. Everything I had learned, I learned from that journal. If anything, it is the only thing that can provide us with answers."

"Alright," Judy spoke up, suddenly feeling confident with actually having a lead to follow, "where is it? I'm sure one of us can get it."

"It's in my tailor shop on the other side of town," Nick responded, a frown on his face. Judy sobered as she understood. One of them had to go and get it, and risk being spotted and killed. Without the proper knowledge and preparation, they couldn't go further fighting against this sinister group.

And Judy also knew that if they did nothing, Skye would be just as lost.

"We need to move at night, I think that's the safest time of the day," Jack suggested. The other two considered this and nodded. It made sense to move at night, the cover of the darkness would hide them nicely among the maze of the city.

Judy proceeded to pull out her phone to check the time, but by her natural clock she assumed it must be about 7am. As she pressed the power button, nothing happened and she let out a quiet groan. Her batteries must've died during the night and she already knew a boatload of messages were awaiting her.

"Hey Nick, you don't happen to have a phone charger, do you?", she asked the fox, who was quietly talking to Jack, as he shifted his attention towards her.

"What's the matter, Carrots? Need to check up your Furbook account?" he quipped, as he stood up from the table, not exactly expecting a reply. He swiftly moved towards a small cabinet and started to rummage inside of it.

"Would you stop calling me that?" she huffed, exasperated by his blatant use of the demeaning nickname. "How can you stand him?" she directed her question towards the striped buck, her thumb pointing behind her shoulder at the distracted tod.

Upon her question, Jack who was just taking a sip from his coffee, slowly set down his mug and smirked at her question. He shrugged nonchalantly as he replied, "I don't. He's a pain in the tail and there's little you can do about it."

She smiled at his reply, and before Judy could respond, Nick came back from the cabinet, a phone charger in his paw, "When you two are done flirting, we actually need to do some work now."

He handed Judy the charger, barely noticing her blush as she shot up from the chair and walked quickly out of the room, not sparing either males a second glance. Nick followed her with amused eyes as she walked away, his emeralds slowly wandering down towards her fluffy tail. He noticed how it seemed to bob up and down during her walk, and Nick began to lose himself into the enticing movement, before a rather loud slam of a mug on the table shifted his attention to the glaring buck beside him.

"Stop ogling her," Jack quietly said, a dangerous tone in his demand. Upon hearing the uncharacteristic tone of the usually laid-back rabbit, Nick raised a brow.

"I wasn't _ogling_ her. I was just.. making sure she would find her way out. This hanger is a maze after all," Nick replied easily, before taking a long sip from his coffee, noticing it was actually empty. As he again stood up from the table to get a refill, Jack spoke up in an annoyed tone.

"Whatever, I'm just making sure that yo-"

"Alright Stripes, what's gotten into your fluffbutt that you feel the need to defend _her_ ," Nick interrupted, spinning around from the counter he stood at. His brow was raised and his paw on his hip, a genuinely annoyed look on his face.

"Did you suddenly, I don't know, _fall_ for her or what? Because it seems to me that after knowing her for merely, what, five hours? You seem to care about her an awful lot, so what is going on? And you better have a damn good reason."

"Of course I'm not falling for her!" Jack shot up from his chair, an angry frown on his face, causing Nick to slightly flinch as he had never seen the rabbit to lash out like this, "Did you forget that my fucking wife is missing? I love Skye, that's it! And what's so wrong to care about a fellow mammal?"

"Alright, then why acting like a helicopter parent around Carrots? Is this a rabbit thing? Why do you care? " Nick asked, arms crossed. He quickly got annoyed from his friend's behavior.

"I don't, alright!" Jack yelled, slowly angered by the tod's probing, "I don't care! Is this what you wanted to hear?"

Nick just crossed his arms upon hearing his friends explanation. He could smell a lie from a mile away, and Jack was reeking. But what reason did Jack have to hide about him obviously caring about Judy? Rabbits mate for life and Jack had Skye, so that couldn't be it. Nick decided to tread into more dangerous waters, as a mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes.

-o-

Judy quickly left the room, a serious blush on her cheeks and the need to hide her face behind her ears. That stupid fox! she huffed silently, cursing that darned fox for embarrassing her this way. How did he always know what exact buttons to push to get her riled up? She couldn't understand how Jack was able to put up with him. She really had to admire his nerves, if he was able to call that infuriating, sarcastic fox a friend!

As she was walking down the hallway, looking for a plug for her phone, she thought about the fox a few hours ago. The fox who had apologized to her for lashing out at her, the fox who had forgiven her transgression, the fox who had patiently comforted her with a _hug_ while she had bawled her eyes out after such a horrible night.

Where did this compassionate, caring fox go? Judy couldn't say, and she doubted she would see that fox again, but she couldn't care less. She was here to help, not to befriend a cynical fox. So here she was, finally finding a plug as she charged her phone, waiting for it to turn on.

The exact moment her phone came back to life, she immediately received a call. The menacing frown of her Chief stared right into her soul as the phone rang, as if he knew exactly when she had turned on her phone. Swallowing a lump in her throat and readying herself for the imminent rant, she accepted the call and held it cautiously against her ear, breathing out a meek "Hello?"

"HOPPS! You better have a very good explanation for your disappearance and I want it NOW!"

The booming voice of Bogo actually caused a ringing as she lowered her phone, trying to distance it from her hurting ears. Again she swallowed before answering.

"Good morning to you too, Chief. Well, funny story, but you see. There was some kind of incident when I followed the call from earlier-"

"Yes, I know. I was at the scene," Bogo interrupted, his voice tense, "What I want to know, Officer Hopps, is how you managed to not only wreck a police cruiser, but also a whole neighborhood! And that on your very own!"

Judy's eyes widened, her words died in her throat as she had absolutely no way she could explain this to her boss without sounding like a lunatic. She had to buy time, so she could actually find a reasonable explanation that wouldn't cost her badge.

"Uhm.. you see Chief, it is kinda hard to explain this over the phone..," she meekly replied, expecting Bogo to lash out again, but instead he answered rather calmly. Now she was terrified.

"I see. I'm sending an escort. Where are you right now?"

Now she really was confused. "An escort? But Sir, I'm fine by walki-"

"No buts! Tell me your location, and an escort will pick you up!" he again yelled, killing any objections before they could form. She just nodded, even though Bogo couldn't see it, and answered in a firm, "Yes, Sir. I will be at the bus station in the Rainforest District, Cypress Grove Lane."

With that Bogo ended the call, leaving a stunned Judy back. She wondered why Bogo wanted to arrange an escort for her. Did he know they were in danger? But how? He didn't even seem to want to know how she suddenly ended up in the Rainforest District.

Shaking the question out of her head and deciding she would clear this up as soons as she was at the precinct, Judy began to walk back with her phone to the kitchen, as rather loud yelling reached her long ears.

Perking up, her ears made out an apparent fight between Nick and Jack. Moving closer she finally made out what they were saying.

"Well, if you don't care, then you obviously don't have any objections if I would take a bite from that _Carrot_? I bet she would taste great."

She immediately felt anger and disgust rising up inside of her, as she heard Nick's unmistaken snarky voice. How dare he talk about her as if she was some kind of token bunny, an easy girl! She was about to walk into the kitchen so she could kick him again, as she stopped upon Jack's dangerously low voice. Peeking inside the room, she saw Jack had taken a step towards the tod, ears erect and a wild look in his ice blue eyes, as he clenched his fist and he pointed with his other paw at the smirking fox.

"Don't. You. Dare touch her," she heard Jack saying. She swore she could almost hear him growling. His reaction made her stop. Did Jack care about her that much that he would turn against his friend, and even in such an aggressive manner? She gauged Nick's reaction and saw his smirk slowly started to fall, a frown on his face.

Judy knew she needed to interfere before the situation could escalate. As much

as she wanted to see Jack teaching Nick a lesson, her police training told her to intervene before anything worse could happen.

With a straight back and perked ears, she tried to put on the most innocent voice she was able to and entered the room, immediately silencing the room, before she said,

"What's going on?" Both males stopped as soon as they heard her, burning eyes shifting towards her, causing her to swallow nervously.

Nick opened his mouth to say something, as Jack beat him to it. "Nothing, we were just talking about the plan." He quickly darted a glare at Nick, before picking up his chair and seating himself with his mug at the table. The fox just nodded and decided to talk this one out later.

Judy just stood at the threshold for a while, before entering the room with a sigh. Apparently they had dropped the subject, so would she.

"Well, whatever you guys were talking about, I need to return to the precinct. The chief just called, and let me tell you: Saying he is angry would be the biggest understatement of the year."

Nick noticed she was already in her full police gear, as she began to stride towards the exit. Before she could leave, Jack suddenly spoke up, "Hold up, we already agreed we can't leave the hangar. If you're spotted, they will kill you."

Whatever Jack had said before, his tone spoke volumes about how he felt about Judy. Later, Nick thought as he took a sip from his refilled mug.

"I know, but don't worry," Judy replied, "The Chief had sent a police escort, so they will pick me up at the bus station down the street. I'll be fine," she reassured as she was already out of the door, before shouting a "Bye!" over her shoulder. She didn't want to stay any minute longer. What Nick had said still burned inside her mind, and she was still beyond furious, but she would handle it another time.

Jack looked after her, as she disappeared through the door leading to the main hall of the hangar. This didn't sit right with him at all. _What if they find her?_ he wondered, almost tempted to follow her, so she wouldn't have to go alone at least. But before he could move, a dark red furred paw on his shoulder stopped him dead in his tracks. Looking over his shoulder, he looked into the serious emeralds of his vulpine friend.

"We need to talk."


	10. Divided

_"The defects and faults of the mind are like wounds in the bodies;_

_after all imaginable care has been taken to heal them up, still there will be a scar left behind, and they are in continual danger of breaking the skin and bursting out again."_

_-Francois de la Rochefoucauld_

_14 years ago_

_Glistening snow covered the frozen streets as a thick layer of gray clouds laid upon the city of Zootopia. The occasional sunrays breaking through the cloud-blanket did little to counter the freezing wind howling through the leafless treetops as snowflakes danced in the wind. For mammals sitting inside their warm and cozy homes, it was a view one could enjoy. As for the mammals outside, well one either had the natural predispositions to live in this climate, or one better made sure to wear something warm._

_Jacob was one of the latter as he sat shivering on the frozen bench in the Central Garden of Zootopia. Covered in a thick down jacket and a long scarf, the lapine did his best to keep himself warm. Folding his ears behind his head to keep them from the freezing wind and sticking his paws inside his armpits to keep them warm, Jacob began to wonder if his decision to run away had really been the best choice._

_He could've been sitting inside the burrow, surrounded by the family he dearly missed, listening to old stories and fairytales, while a mug of hot chocolate and the crackling fireplace would keep him warm…_

_Jacob quickly shook his head as familiar memories began to break his resolve. No, he had to be strong. For once in his life, Jacob would follow through on what he had begun. He would not return with his tail between his legs, begging for forgiveness._

_A sudden gust of wind sent a freezing shiver down his spine, as Jacob finally had enough. He had to find a place to stay tonight, otherwise he would end up as a pawpsicle._

_After Jacob had ran away from his home in Bunny Burrow, the young lapine had decided to move to the big city at the age of twelve. Zootopia seemed like a good place for runaways, and Jacob quickly found himself among the hubbub of the metropolis._

_But life in the city had proven itself way harder than Jacob had expected. As he had left in spring, Jacob had spent a good part of the year working small jobs here and there, while managing to find a roof over his head, occasionally living in a homeless shelter. But even though Jacob was basically living on pennies and dimes, he couldn't be happier._

_Life had finally taken a turn for Jacob. No one expected anything from him or reprimanded him for his inadequate abilities. Here in the city, Jacob truly lived. He experienced the life of a hard working mammal, a mammal who was happy with what he had. It didn't take a nice sports car or a mansion to be happy. Purpose was what made them happy. And Jacob's purpose was to be a mammal who could help others and make them happy._

_Because of Jacob's talent with numbers and extensive math abilities, he quickly got small jobs helping other mammals working out their finances and taxes. It was the one thing he was able to do, and it filled him with pure joy to help others._

_But as winter came, Jacob's resolve slowly declined. Harsh weather conditions caused a large number of mammals, who were in the same situation as Jacob, to overcrowd the shelter. He rarely had a place to sleep as winter approached, and found himself sitting in the park with nothing to do and nothing to eat._

_So here Jacob sat, on a freezing bench, contemplating whether or not he should sleep inside a dumpster when a slight tap on his shoulder shifted his attention from trying not to die from exposure to a mammal standing behind him._

_Turning around he looked into piercing green eyes of a panther. The feline had shimmering black fur, clean and healthy, and wore a long black overcoat, neatly blending with his fur color. His eyes were stern yet friendly as he spoke up, voice smooth and calming._

_"Hello there, little one. May I?" the panther began, as he quickly rounded the bench, sitting down beside Jacob. Jacob watched the stranger warily for a moment, before finally turning back to trying not to freeze to death. Living for months in the city made him slightly wary around strangers as Jacob had already been robbed a couple times before, but this feline seemed friendly enough._

_The panther on the other paw just sat there, seemingly unaffected by the weather as he leaned back on the bench, his pale green eyes gazing lazily over the snow covered park, a slight smile on his lips._

_After a moment of silence, the black feline spoke up, "Beautiful, isn't it?" He eventually regarded the lapine with an amused glance, as he saw Jacob shivering._

_"I personally think that winter is the most gorgeous season the world has to offer. Don't you agree?" Jacob watched him as he talked, his words visible as faint mist._

_Not receiving an answer, the panther continued. "Especially after snowfall, when everything is covered in neverending… white."_

_Jacob seriously didn't know why this stranger was talking to him. He was about to get frostbite and this guy was seriously gushing over snow. He was about to excuse himself and leave, as the panther made him stop dead in his tracks._

_"You know, Mr. Jacob," he began, still not looking at the now deadpanned rabbit, "White has always been my favorite color. Its purity and.. immaculateness truly touches me in an extraordinary way. It's soothing, yet exciting."_

_Jacob could only stare at this panther, as he continued to ramble about seemingly random topics. He finally managed to stutter out some words, his voice shuddering from the cold._

_"H-how do y-you kn-"_

_"I know a lot, Mr. Jacob," the panther interrupted him, now looking at him, his green eyes piercing and shimmering, "I know you have been living on the streets for quite a while now. I know you have been scrounging from job to job, trying to make ends meet like a hungry rat. Excuse the speciest comment," he quickly added, a light smile on his face, that didn't reach his eyes._

_Now Jacob was definitely wary of this stranger. Shifting a few inches away from him on the bench, he again decided to speak up._

_"Who a-are you?" Upon hearing his question, the feline just snorted lightly, again turning away from him and leaning back on the bench._

_"Who I am, is not important. Yet," he began, his half lidded eyes now appearing tired, "What is important, is the abilities you seem to have, Mr. Jacob, and we would like to make use of those abilities."_

_Jacob had to frown upon the feline's claim, "I don't know what abilities you're talking about, I'm just a chi-"_

_"I'm talking about your talent with numbers," again the feline interrupted him, a slight impatient tone in his voice. Seemingly not wanting to beat around the bush anymore, he reached inside his overcoat, pulling out a small black business card with a strange white symbol on it. He handed it to Jacob without looking at him, and as Jacob reluctantly took it, the feline stood up from the bench, straightening out his overcoat._

_"If you think you are capable enough for the work we have to offer, Mr. Jacob, be sure to give us a call."_

_With that the panther strode away from the bench, leaving a baffled rabbit behind, staring with ice blue eyes at the back of the feline. Jacob's gaze slowly fell to the card he had been given._

_It was simple in design. Completely black, a row of numbers in white beneath it, most likely a phone number. But it was the symbol that caught Jacob's attention._

_Depicted in the center of the card, were five white petals arranged in a circle. From the shape and color of the blossoms, and from his limited botanic knowledge he had from his family Jacob was able to tell what kind of flower he was looking at._

_It was a magnolia._

_-o-_

_Today_

"We need to talk."

Jack knew this moment had to come sooner or later, and he would rather have it later. But, knowing his vulpine friend, he didn't really have a choice in the matter. He could either evade the question forever, which would only increase the tension between the two of them, or he could let the truth spill out and possibly ruin the friendship for good.

Turning around to face his friend, Jack tore his gaze from the door, where Judy had just vanished, and looked at Nick. His eyes were looking expectantly at his own, emeralds burning for a clear answer.

"Well? I'm waiting, Stripes," Nick began, crossing his arms, "From the way you look at her, the way you defend her tells me that there's some history, and I want to know it now."

Jack just sighed and dragged his paw across his face, turning away and walking towards the table. "What do you want me to say, Nick?" He took his empty mug and walked towards the sink.

Nick followed him with his scrutinizing gaze, "I want you to tell me the truth, Jack. I want to kno-"

"Why is it so _damn_ important?!" Jack exclaimed, spinning around to face his friend. Nick's face slightly softened, yet remained stern as he replied in a calm tone.

"We are friends, Jack. You know you can trust me with anything," he began, slowly taking steps towards the nervous rabbit. Jack refused to make eye contact, staring at the ground instead, a frown on his face. Jack knew he could trust Nick. Heck, Nick had saved him plenty of times already, going as far as maiming himself to save their hides, but it wasn't the lack of trust that made Jack so reluctant to tell Nick the truth. It was the matter of _if_ his friend would still trust him _after_ he had told him the _full_ story.

Seeing he couldn't get out of the situation, Jack decided he could at least find a compromise and tell him a little. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, as he finally looked into the concerned, yet determined emeralds of his friend.

"Fine. I will tell you," Jack began, voice slightly shaken, "but under one condition."

Nick merely nodded, understanding his friend's uncomfortable situation. Not hearing a reply from Nick, Jack proceeded to continue.

"I want to keep this between us alright? Judy _mustn't_ know. If the time is right for her to know, I will do it myself, but, for now, I want you to keep this quiet."

Nick nodded, his gaze expectantly and intrigued, "Of course, Jack. As I said before, you know you can trust me."

To emphasize his point, he put his left paw on his chest, while holding his other paw up, a smirk on his face, "Scout's honor."

"You've never been with the Scouts, Nick." Jack replied deadpanned.

Nick just shook his head, waving the topic away, "Doesn't matter. Just spill it, already. This handsome face ain't getting younger."

Jack nodded curtly, steadying his breath as he was about to drop the bomb on his friend. Finally collecting himself, he looked into the emeralds of his friend, ready to tell him the secret he had only told Skye as of yet.

"Judy.. Judith Laverne Hopps is my.. She is my sister."

Jack let out a shuddering breath he didn't know he was holding. He looked at his friend, gauging his reaction and expecting disbelief or denial. Instead, what he saw was amusement.

"Wait," Nick began, already chuckling, "Hold up. Her middle name is _Laverne_?"

Finally he broke out in laughter, bending over and holding his stomach. Jack honestly didn't know how to react as he watched his friend's barking laughter went on and on, with no end in sight. He was confused, and slightly annoyed from his friend laughing at his sister's name. What would he think of my middle name? I would never hear the end of it.

Shaking his head, Jack spoke up with an annoyed voice, "Seriously Nick?! I'm telling you one of my biggest secrets and you laugh at her _middle name_?!"

Finally collecting himself, Nick stood up straight, a few chuckles still escaping his mouth as he spoke up, levity and amusement apparent in his tone, "I'm sorry, Stripes. It's just… no, I'm sorry." He let out the last few chuckles, before he looked at the lapine with the most serious expression he could muster, even though Jack could still see the amusement in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. Alright," Nick began, "So, she's your sister." Jack nodded, arms crossed. "And she doesn't know." Jack shook his head.

"Okay," Nick crossed his arms, as he seemed like to be thinking about something. Jack waited patiently for his questions, as Nick finally spoke up. Nothing prepared him for what his friend was about to say.

"You know, I think she has a crush on you."

Wide eyes stared in shock at his vulpine friend, who was on the verge of another laughing fit. "W-what?" Jack stuttered.

Nick couldn't hold it in any longer, as he broke out another laughter, "Gosh Stripes, you're such a putz."

Jack didn't know what to think. _My sister has a crush on me?! This is so messed up!_ Jack didn't want nothing more than the earth to just swallow him up as Nick continued to laugh. Finally collecting himself, he said the only thing he was able to bring up in this situation.

"Shut up," he huffed as he turned away from the laughing tod, who was finally able to speak up again.

"I'm just kidding, Stripes," Nick chuckled, "but on a more serious note,"

Hearing that, Jack finally looked back at his friend. "How come she doesn't know? Doesn't she recognize you or anything? I mean those stripes on your face are pretty unique. Wait," Nick suddenly widened his eyes, "don't tell me those are fake, Stripes."

Nick looked genuinely concerned about the realness of his stripes, and Jack honestly wasn't ready for another bombshell.

"That is another story," Jack answered, shaking his head, "I already told you that much, and when the time is right, I promise I will tell you both the truth. But just not now."

Nick considered his condition for a moment, even though he already knew how he would answer. He nodded and walked wordlessly around the rabbit to the sink, as he started to clean the mugs. Jack stared at his friend's back, watching him scrubbing out the coffee stains from the white ceramic.

"Don't worry, Jack. I'm sure _Laverne_ won't be too upset," Nick said, his gaze never leaving his paws as she continued washing the mugs, a smirk on his face.

Jack really wanted to laugh at his quip, but at the mere thought of telling either of them his story, he just couldn't.

Jack honestly didn't know how his friends would take the truth.

-o-

Despite her worries of being detected and eventually killed, Judy actually arrived at the bus station without incident. Her escort, a rookie fresh out of the academy, drove her safe and sound to the precinct.

Now here she was, sitting in Bogo's dim lit office and succumbing to his deathly glare as she had tried to explain to him in the most rational way what had happened as to why her cruiser was now completely wrecked and basically a neighborhood was destroyed. That included leaving out anything paranormal.

Her ears flat behind her back and her tiny paws between her thighs, she looked meekly at her boss as he finally spoke up after a deafening silence.

"So you're trying to tell me," Bogo began in a dangerously low tone, "that a seven feet white wolf with ruby eyes, wielding a sword had attacked you while you were investigating the call?"

As his sceptical brown eyes stared her down, all resolve she had collected on the drive here completely vanished, leaving a teensy rabbit in an overgrown office. Her nose twitched furiously as she replied, "Yes, Sir."

"And where are the other mammals involved right now? Because forensics were able to smell a fox and a hare in that apartment not too long ago," Bogo inquired, clearly not buying her story.

Judy contemplated whether she should tell Bogo about the hangar, but she already promised off the record she would help Nick and Jack any way she could. If she told her boss where they were hiding, Bogo would know about her insubordination. On top of that, if she revealed their hiding spot it would put them at risk of being found.

Deciding she should keep the whole thing quiet, Judy ground her teeth as she answered her boss, "I don't know, Sir. After the attack, the wolf vanished and they were gone."

Another excruciatingly long silence settled over both of them as Judy waited for his response. Instead, Bogo broke the eye contact and the silence with a long sigh through his nose, as he shuffled through some folders on his desk, his only reply being an, "I see."

Upon his answer, Judy's ears perked up, her amethyst slightly wide of surprise. She had expected another rant, her boss to chew her ears off until they would bleed. Heck she even expected him to hurl her out of the window, but instead he calmly acknowledged her report as if it had been a regular traffic report. Deciding she needed to speak up, Judy opened her mouth to break the silence, but her boss beat her to it.

"No need to throw something in, Hopps," he began, his eyes never leaving his hooves, "I will make sure to take your report into account when we will file a missing report for the fox and the hare."

Now she was definitely baffled. Upon her silence, Bogo finally looked at her, his frown still apparent, but not an angry frown. It was his standard frown.

"You are still an officer of the law, Hopps, as much as I think you're not. Your words have as much merit behind them as those of an average citizen. Just because I think you're unfit for this job doesn't mean I will dismiss everything you say. Especially not if the evidence is right here," he calmly stated, as he seemed to have finally found what he was looking for. Raising his hooves from his desk, he showed her a small clear bag and its contents: a strand of white fur.

"Forensics called just a few minutes ago, partly confirming your report," he continued, passing her the bag, "Even though your report has a lot of holes to explain, like just as to why forensics found the severed finger of the missing fox _inside_ your cruiser, I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, the fur sample only gave us that much. The suspect is a white wolf, not in the system yet."

Judy was finally able to break free from her paralysis as she took the bag, staring blankly at the white fur strand. The fur strand of the wolf who had tried to kill her mere hours ago. And now here she was, reporting her boss of a situation equal to a bad sci-fi movie, and he was willing to believe her. For the first time she had worked in the precinct, her word hadn't been dismissed. He was actually willing to hear her out. Even though she was reluctant to tell her boss about what she had learned from Nick, something warm stirred inside her as she could feel the tears in her eyes, which she quickly shook away. This was not the time for sentiment.

"Chief, that's not everything," she began, Bogo now looking at her with intrigued yet stern eyes, "The tenant is not the only mammal.. _missing_. Another mammal was taken on that night as well."

Bogo raised a brow, "Is that so? And do you have any suspicions as of who might have been the culprit?"

Judy nodded as she answered, "Yes, Sir. I believe it was the very same wolf we are looking for."

Upon hearing her answer, Bogo merely grunted as he began to continue working on his paperwork. Not expecting a reply, Judy was about to speak up again before her boss interrupted her.

"I will still assign another officer to this case, Hopps. My opinion of you regarding this job still hasn't changed, just so we are clear."

Judy deflated visibly, as she heard the familiar patronizing tone in her Chief's tone. She was still not good enough in his eyes, probably never would be. But at least he wouldn't dismiss her as a mammal but as an officer. Her boss' voice pulled her out of her thoughts, as he spoke up, his gaze still glued to his hooves.

"If I recall correctly, you still have paperwork to do, don't you Officer Hopps? Dismissed."

Ears falling flat behind her head, Judy's gaze fell to the floor, as she hopped from the gigantic chair and moved towards the door. Without another word, she left Bogo's office, closing the door with a silent click as she wordlessly made her way through the precinct.

-o-

The day went by quickly, with night seeming to come sooner than expected. The sun was already long past its zenith, inching closer to the horizon and sending long shadows throughout the city of Zootopia as the indigo blue sky gradually darkened. Faint glows of the stars sparkled in the dark blanket of the night sky and the moon made its way slowly up, illuminating the small air hangar in the deserted industrial area of the town.

While Judy had worked tirelessly on her paperwork, Nick and Jack had spent their day searching the abandoned building, looking for anything of use. Hours previous, they had made a decision: who would be the one to get the journal from Nick's tailor shop.

Jack was reluctant to let Nick go, as in his eyes the fox had already done enough for them. Cutting off his finger and saving their lives multiple times, so Jack said, was already plenty, much to Nick's disagreement. Nick on the other paw, thought he knew his shop better than anyone else, so he would be able to find the journal quickly. Other than that, as a predator he was able to travel through the dark much faster and more effectively.

The both of them came to a compromise to let fate decide. Quickly throwing a coin, fate decided to let Jack go, much to Nick's dismay. But Nick wasn't the type to break promises, as he promised he would do whatever the coin decided.

So as the night arrived, Jack was already at the gate out of the hangar, ready to go and get the journal. Nick stood in front of him, reluctant to let the rabbit go at all. Still, he would help him any way he could. So he gave him the necessary tools so Jack wouldn't go out there completely helpless.

"Here's a knife and a gun. The gun is blessed, so in case a Familiar decides to hunt you, you won't be completely done for," Nick said, as he handed Jack a sheathed combat knife and a small handgun. Jack accepted the weapons reluctantly, yet thankful for his friend's concern. It didn't sit right with Jack to see his usually laid-back friend to talk in such a serious manner, so it didn't really help him to settle his nerves.

"And remember," Nick continued, "stay in the shadows. Move quickly and try not to be seen."

"Alright, _mom_ ," Jack chuckled nervously, "I got it. I'll be fine, it's just a couple miles. I will be back before you know it."

Even though his words were meant to calm his friend's nerves, they also calmed his own nerves and filled him with resolve to finish his task. He would return with the journal and they would finally be a step closer to finding Skye.

"Alright," Nick replied, taking a step back, his face stern, yet emeralds filled with concern, "I guess I'll stay back and wait for Judy. Besides, I found my old motorcycle in the back, so maybe I'll try to fix her up while I wait."

While they had been salvaging they could find in the hangar, Nick found his old bike, a dark red Indian Model 841. Nick had found it at the garbage dump about a decade ago and had fixed it up. But as he had been working in his tailor shop, he kind of forgot about his little treasure, and now he wanted to make sure that she was still as top notch as he remembered.

Jack nodded and stowed the weapons away, stuffing them in a long overcoat he had found in the hangar. "You think she'll be back?" he asked as he looked questioningly at the tod. He had doubts if his sister would return, as she had vanished in such a hurry without another word.

Nick just nodded, a confident expression on his face, smirk and half-lidded eyes, "Of course, after all, I don't think she would leave her little _crush_ back at the hangar with the big bad fox."

The tod barked out a laugh as Jack frowned, sighing exasperatedly and moving towards the door. He had spent the whole day hearing Nick's teasing, and while Jack was fairly used to his friend's quips, he could only take so much. Especially if it was about his sister.

"Shut up," he huffed as he opened the door, letting the cool night air flood the room. Looking out into the unknown dark, he stood at the threshold, collecting himself as he was about to leave the safe haven, risking his life for his friends. For Skye.

"I guess I'll see you guys then." Without another word he stepped out into the cold, leaving a concerned fox behind.

Nick followed his friend with his eyes walking further and further way into the night, worry written on his face as he finally pulled the heavy door closed, ultimately cutting the two friends off.

They now had made their first move against the common foe. And, unbeknownst to the three friends, three different sets of eyes had also begun to focus on their respective targets.


	11. Father's Wishes

_"There's no reason to be afraid, no time to be like that."_

_-Anderson .Paak, Lite Weight ft. The Free Nationals, United Fellowship Choir_

She hated paperwork.

Judy Hopps wasn't one to complain when it came to work that would actually make a change. Of course she could do so much more out on patrol, chasing down criminals and cracking cases, but as much as she wished to be seen as a real cop, her boss refused to let her out of her metaphorical cage. She will always be seen as nothing more but a glorified secretary, filling out paperwork and fulfilling tasks no one else wants to.

But that doesn't mean Judy couldn't be the best damn secretary there ever was. She would work through her work tirelessly until everything was done. And that before her shift was over. In exactly one hour to be more specific, as amethyst eyes tiredly glanced from her desk to the clock on the wall, telling her it was almost time for her to leave.

It was likely already pitch dark outside.

Judy returned her gaze to her work, but her paws grasping the pen refused to move as her mind began to wander back to the hangar.

I wonder what the guys are up to, she asked herself silently. She had left without another word and Judy knew it was a rushed decision and she would probably had to apologize. Again. But after hearing what Nick had insinuated, she just couldn't help but to feel angry, and slightly uncomfortable. Judy was never the type of rabbit that could be described as intimate. Sure, she loved her family dearly and would do everything for them, but to actually let someone else in that isn't her family? That concept seemed strange to Judy. So it was no wonder Judy suddenly felt vulnerable as she thought about how the fox saw her.

_Does he think I'm an easy girl?_

Of course, Judy is forever thankful for Nick saving her life twice back there, and she was sure she will always be in debt for what he had done for her. Thinking about him losing his finger while he was saving her and Jack's tail, Judy's stomach couldn't help but to just feel sick.

But as much as a person might seem like a hero or a saint, talking to someone in such a disrespectful manner after knowing them for mere hours was something unacceptable in Judy's eyes. No matter how many times Nick would save her life, her body would never be his reward. She was better than that.

As Judy thought about the fox, different feelings began to churn inside of her. She was never so unsure about how she felt, she always had the grasp of her emotions, but this particular fox was just confusing to her. His behavior could change from a sarcastic cynic to a charming prince, back from a short fused bomb to a disgusting pervert in mere seconds. She wasn't sure who was the real Nick. He just had too many faces. Too many masks.

She sighed wearily as Judy noticed how far her mind had wandered during her musings, as she stretched her back over the backrest of her chair, emitting some satisfying pops, before she slumped back into her chair.

She had a long night, and would have a longer one as soon as she would return to the hangar and explain to the guys why she had just ran off without another word. What made Judy so insecure was the fact that she had no clue whatsoever how either of them would react. She barely knew them, aside from their names and species, the information about the two of them was close to zero.

Realizing her lack of knowledge about the two, Judy decided on the whim that she needed to learn about her companions as she would work with them in near future. She needed to be prepared.

Straightening her back she turned on her office computer and launched the program for identifying mammals. Judy quickly decided she would start with Nick as she was the most curious about his whereabouts.

Typing in his name in the search bar and as well as flicking through some questions, a profile of one Nicholas Piberius Wilde appeared, causing the bunny to snicker lightly.

"Piberius?" she quietly read out loud. What kind of name was that? She shook her head in amusement as she continued to read the profile. Other than a picture of the smirking fox, the profile also provided a detailed report of one's backstory.

"Nicholas P. Wilde," Judy began to read out loud, "Age, 32. Occupation, tailor. Now that's interesting." The thought of the childish and infuriating fox to actually have a decent, creative job was quite surprising. Of course she didn't expect him to be a drug dealer or something as such assumptions based on one's species wouldn't be right. But from his personality she actually expected him to be something like a con-man or something. Maybe in a different universe.

Shaking her head she continued to read, noticing no criminal record other than some rude behavior under influence of alcohol, but that was hardly surprising. But what did caught her attention was the person listed as his only living family member.

Amethyst eyes widened, as she read the familiar name, "Skye Savage…"

_Sweet cheese and crackers! Nick's sister is Jack's wife! That means…_

Her eyes widened further as she realized that Skye couldn't be something else than a vixen. The topic was never covered during their time and it never came up what species Skye was. Judy just assumed she was another rabbit, but if she was Nick's sister..

Again the strange concoction of emotions churned up inside her as she thought about the type of relationship Jack was involved in. Judy had no personal objections against interspecies relationships as she had never actually seen them in real life, only heard. But now actually being confronted about it, made Judy queasy. Was she opposed to the idea? Not really, she thought. If the other mammal was the right one, then appearance didn't really matter, right? Or did it..?

Shaking her head, Judy decided to work through that topic on a different time, as she remembered she was trying to find some information about Nick, and not about the morality of someone's love interest.

As Judy read further, she couldn't find anything that stood out, other than Nick's parents, and whole family for that matter, was either deceased or not listed. The thought of Nick being a sole mammal, having no one to rely on but on himself and maybe friends, it didn't sit right with Judy. Being a rabbit, it was in her nature to be depended on her family, no matter what. Growing up around hundreds of siblings was an invaluable aspect of her childhood, and even the thought of just losing one of them…

 _No, not going there.._ Judy hastily thought, as uncomfortable memories began to appear. Memories she would rather have erased and never be recalled. But her memories helped her to remember, how much it meant to her to keep her siblings close, to never let them go. She had done the mistake once and she would never do it again…

Taking a shuddering breath, Judy decided she couldn't mull around these memories anymore, as her thoughts began to wander to the striped rabbit.

Intrigued and curious, she began to type in his name and went through the same process as with Nick, causing his profile to appear in front of her.

Judy didn't know what she should think about the rabbit. Since the first time they met, he had behaved strangely, not that she would know how he behaved when normal. But there was something in his eyes whenever they talked. His ice blue eyes might appear cold and distanced to some mammals, but when he talked with Judy, a sudden warmth would take place in his eyes. Warmth that radiated love and… longing?

She couldn't help but wonder what was up with Jack. Deciding now was the time to find out the answers she began to read the profile. Much to her dismay, the profile left a lot to be desired.

"Jack Savage," she began to read. "Age, 27. Hm, same as me."

She shrugged, not minding the coincidence as she continued, "Occupation, accountant at _Jackson & Goldman Bank_. Previous jobs, none.."

Upon reading this, she halted. _An accountant with steady income at a prestigious bank, living in Downtown with no previous jobs and work experience. What kind of company would hire someone like him?_

Judy scrolled down to find an answer to her question as she looked up his workplace, when a sudden knock on the cubicle wall caused her to nearly jump from her chair, yelping in surprise.

Spinning around on her chair, she eventually faced a rather young tiger in dress blues, staring just as surprised at her, in his paws a manila folder held in front of him, as if he was trying to shield himself from the anxious rabbit.

After Judy calmed down enough as her heart wasn't racing anymore, was she able to focus on her visitor. She tiger was quite young yet tall and broad. His stature was lean and muscular, typical for his species in this line of work. Not knowing the identity the officer in front of her, she glanced at his nameplate. _Baader_ , she read, _probably one of the rookies._

"Is everything alright, Officer Hopps?", the tiger asked, his voice light and layered with concern as he looked at the bunny, his expression shifting gradually from surprised to a more professional attitude, "I hope I didn't startle you."

Upon hearing his rather docile behavior, she visibly relaxed, her shoulders slumping as she quickly rubbed her face before she answered, her voice weary from all the work, "Yes, no you didn't startle me, Officer..?"

The tiger's eyes lightened up as she asked for his name before he answered, his voice full of pride, "Officer Baader, ma'am."

She smiled slightly at this rookie's enthusiasm. She used to share his spirit, before Bogo practically glued her to this damned desk. Waving the thoughts away, she went ahead to asked Baader as to why he was here in her moderate cubicle, "So, Officer Baader, how can I help you?"

Upon her question, the four times larger predator smiled sheepishly as he rubbed his neck awkwardly before speaking up, "Well, I know you are very busy with your work," he glanced at her table covered in paperwork, "but if you could find the time, I would really appreciate it if you could.. help me out with the copy machine?"

His voice pitched gradually higher during his question as he spoke and the nervousness was practically written on his face as he waited for her response. Judy on the other paw watched the rookie's body language with utmost amusement, as she smiled at the predator. It filled her with pride to experience what it meant to be a superior officer, some sort of a role model. This rookie looked up to her and her title as officer was intriguing enough for the giant predator to act like a cub asking his mother to go out with his friend.

Suppressing a snicker, she smiled up at him, amethyst eyes shining again as she answered, the rookie's enthusiasm slowly infecting her, "It would be my pleasure," she grinned happily, showing her bucktooth as she rounded the tiger and hopped towards the break room down the hall, where she soon found the machine in question, the tiger following her closely.

"Alright, what seems to be the problem?" she asked, entering the empty room as she inspected the machine enthusiastically, looking at every nook and cranny before even knowing the problem. The break room was decorated in a rather stale manner. Counter, table, and chairs were made out of cheap wood and plastic, while potted plants gave the otherwise gray room some color. Only one window adjacent to the door revealed the dark night sky, the last lights of the evening sun vanishing beyond the horizon.

As the bunny meticulously inspected the copy machine while waiting for the rookie's answer, she failed to notice the tiger silently closing the door before locking it, and ultimately hindering anyone from interrupting their _talk._

After Judy was sure she had inspected every little detail, from the ink cartridge to the paper storage, she surprisingly couldn't find anything out of place.

Running her paws through her fur on her head and ears, eyes still focussed on the copy machine, she decided to voice her concern, "What was your problem with the copy machine again, Baad-"

She was never able to finish her sentence, as a familiar feeling creeped down her spine. It was as if one would notice seconds before the impact that a thunderbolt was about to struck. Her fur stood on end, static in her ears, and she noticed how the temperature in the room suddenly dropped.

As the lights suddenly began to flicker, Judy finally realized the mistake she had made. Shifting her gaze from the machine to the now closed door and beside it the pitch-black silhouette of a tiger with burning amber eyes, crouched on four legs and a snarl that froze Judy's blood in her veins, it finally dawned upon her in what kind of situation she was in.

Moving as slowly as she could, her paw inched closer towards her belt, only to realize she had left it in her cubicle, together with her flashlight and tranquilizer. Grinding her teeth and swallowing a lump insider her throat, she chided herself for her carelessness.

"Oh no," a taunting voice spoke up from Judy's left, causing her to move her gaze from the snarling phantom to the figure sitting on the counter.

Baader sat on the counter crossed legged, a mug of coffee in his paws as he grinned coldly down on Judy, his voice lacking any warmth and friendliness he emitted just minutes earlier, "seems like our cute little bunny has forgotten her precious toys, how will she ever defend herself against two big bad predators?"

Judy clenched her fists as anger rose inside of her upon hearing the tiger calling her by the c-word. But seeing she was clearly outnumbered, while also not having any means to defend herself except her martial arts skills, she kept her ire inside of her, not wanting to agitate either of them.

Looking back at the phantom, she noticed it was now mere four feet away from her. The beast was huge in Judy's eyes, its claws about as large as one of her ears. While Judy was experienced in fighting from her training and being able to knock out a fairly larger mammal in a fair sparring match, she had to realize that this fight will be anything but fair, much to her dismay.

Taking a step back to get away from the crouching phantom, her movement caused the master of the beast to set down his mug while pushing himself away from the counter. Judy stopped in her motion as Baader began to creep closer from her side, until he was right beside her. As if his intrusion of personal space wasn't enough, Judy stood completely still as his muzzle inched closer to her face, as she was able to feel his reeking breath on her cheeks, "Let's do this the easy way. You don't resist, and we make this quick, sounds fair, right?"

"You're a Magnolia member." Judy hissed through her teeth, her eyes filled with fury focussed on the traitor as she ignored his statement. She expected the predator to frown or even lash out.

But to her surprise, Baader just straightened himself before he let out a barking laugh which lacked any real joy or warmth. He put his huge paws into his pocket as his glinting eyes focussed back on Judy like a predator on a prey, after his laughter had died down.

"A clever one, ain't ya?" he teased, a smirk on his face, as he turned around and began to pace around the break room, his phantom always keeping its glowing eyes on Judy. She didn't dare to move a single muscle, as panic slowly rose inside of her.

She needed to think quick, or this will be her last night.

-o-

Officer Jonathan Wolford prided himself on his meticulous work, always looking into details other officers would likely miss and never finishing a job halfheartedly. Every case Bogo assigned to the gray wolf, he would strive to do the best he could.

So here he sat in his cubicle, way in the after hours, typing on his keyboard as he reviewed the report on the now called 'Fox-Finger-Case', named after the severed red furred digit now lying in a fridge in the evidence locker. Forensics had found out the finger belonged to a tailor named Nicholas P. Wilde, currently missing. Wolford knew the destroyed apartment belonged to said fox and as well some of the blood on the cushion inside the police cruiser.

But what concerned Wolford was the question as to how he got into the cruiser and _why_ his own severed finger was on the seat. It got weirder as Wolford continued reading the report, telling him about the involvement of Hopps since it had been her cruiser that got wrecked.

He already knew she had been on scene because of an emergency call of some 'drunk' prey, but it didn't sit right with Wolford. The location of the call was blocks away from the destroyed apartment, causing the wolf to question how she got there, as if she knew whatever happened would happen. Did she know? Was she responsible?

Wolford quickly shook the thoughts away. The idea of a three foot bunny destroying half of the neighborhood just sounded too ridiculous to be real. How would that tiny cute bunny ever manage to wreck a whole apartment, take out a fox, and destroy a whole police cruiser? No, there had to be someone else involved.

And Wolford knew that this had to be the case. Aside from Hopps and the fox, forensics also picked up the scent of another male rabbit and a male wolf. Judging from the degree of destruction, Wolford assumed the wolf in question was responsible for the attack. But it still left many question open, like motives and means.

Wolford sighed wearily as he leaned back on his office chair, exhausted after reading through the ridiculously huge amount of files, which didn't surprise him. Extraordinary cases just called for gigantic amounts of paperwork, much to his dismay. As he blankly stared at the white tiled ceiling, thought stirring through the mess of information, he decided he needed a break.

"Coffee," he just grunted to no one in particular as he got up and walked out of his cubicle, strolling towards the break room. His body by now on autopilot, he put his paw on the door handle and tried to turn it just to find out, the door was locked. Upon noticing this, Wolford shifted his attention on the door, raising a curious brow. _That's weird_ , he thought, _why is the break room locked?_

Again he tried to turn the knob to no avail, the door remained locked. The gray wolf was just about to leave and get help to open the door, as he suddenly heard a dull thud from behind the door, followed by a ruckus what sounded suspiciously like a struggle or a fight.

Now ears and hazelnut eyes full on alert, he looked through the small window, seeing nothing but darkness except for faint outlines illuminated by the moon outside. Sniffing quickly the air he noticed two scents; first there was an unknown tiger. But the second scent was the one that caught Wolford's attention, and shifted his curiosity to alarming panic.

The scent was undeniably Hopps' scent, and judging by the sounds he heard inside the room, she and the tiger didn't seem to have a civilized _conversation._

Turning around, Wolford noticed he was alone in the office, the other officers already having left the station. Grinding his teeth, the wolf decided he needed to act quickly if he didn't want to drag a bunny corpse out of here.

But he needed help, and he knew exactly which mammal to ask.

-o-

"I tell ya what," Baader began, still standing beside Judy as he looked at her down with a leering glint in his amber eyes, "Since ya won't have a lot of time left, I'm going to throw ya a bone. You see, we Magnolia's aren't just a _gang_. We don't just go about and choose our members."

He snickered lightly as he started to talk, his attention shifting from the bunny in front of him and therefore not noticing the wheels inside her head spinning. Judy was only listening with one ear as the feline continued to ramble on, as she was in fact interested in a deeper insight into the situation she had gotten into.

But she was still more concerned about her life which was at stake right now. Her ears suddenly perked as Baader shared seemingly unimportant information, which fortunately answered some questions for Judy.

"We Magnolia's are a _family_ of predators," Baader explained, as if he was explaining to a child why two and two equals four, voice condescending yet full of pride for his ancestry, "That means, only those that bear the pure blood of a Magnolia in their veins can be considered members, and are therefore able to study the Magic." He pronounced the aspect of purity as if it was the most important thing in the world.

As Baader talked, Judy's thoughts suddenly shifted to Nick. _If what he has said is true_ , Judy thought, _does that mean he's a Magnolia as well?_

But before Judy could think further about the consequences of Nick's ancestry, the sudden sound of a door knob being moved rattled throughout the dark room, causing Baader to stop in his talking and the beast to halt its snarling. All three of them shifted their attention to the closed doors, and Judy's eyes widened as she noticed Officer Wolford looking confused through the window.

 _This is bad_ , Judy thought, panic slowly rising in her. She desperately wanted to avoid other mammals to be involved in this madness, and now she was about to pull Wolford along. She needed to get out of here alive while at the same time keeping the other officers out of the stray fire. Things just got a lot more complicated.

But as the three of them stood quietly in the dark room, she noticed that the other two weren't paying attention to her. Seeing an opening, Judy reacted quickly and took a swift step to the side towards the wall before jumping off. Bouncing off the wall, she pushed herself off it with her strong legs, catapulted herself with immense speed towards the phantom beast, which was about to turn its attention back to the bunny. But instead of seeing a cowering prey, the beast only saw a pair of long feet, before they connected with its snout and causing it to stumble heavily backwards. The beast emitted a deep yowl after Judy knocked it a few feet backwards with her roundhouse kick, pulling Baader's attention back from the door to his initial target.

Baader let out a low growl as he saw the bunny now running towards the round table in the middle of the room. He was about to call his beast upon her, as he realized what the bunny was doing. After swiftly hopping on the table, the bunny picked up a mug and hurled it towards the window, shattering it in thousand pieces, before she jumped on the counter below the now broken window, carefully stepping around the broken shards.

Grinding his teeth, Baader decided he needed to act quickly before his target would escape, and he wouldn't fail like Cypher did. "Guess we will have to do this the messy way, eh? Get her," he commanded his Familiar, which was already on its feet and running towards the bunny, before he quickly pulled out his medium sized gun, a .5 AMT Automag V, and aimed the lethal weapon at the bunny, making sure she wouldn't get out of this room alive.

Judy was about to jump out of the window, as the world around her suddenly exploded in a painful bang. The windowframe she was just about to grasp shattered into splinters, causing the bunny to stumble and fall on the counter, the broken glass shards piercing painfully into her side. Before Judy could realize what was happening, another shot rang out, this time grazing her left ear. Crying out in pain, she pulled her ear down and rolled quickly out of the line of fire. She needed to get out of here. Rolling down the counter, she kicked the table, causing it to tumble down and creating a barrier for her to hide behind from the killer. Taking several gasps to catch her breath, she thought for a moment she could rest, but her hopes were quickly shattered as the Familiar suddenly slid around the table, ready to pounce on her. Eyes widening, she quickly jumped to the side, barely escaping the beast's deadly fangs. Diving behind the couch in the small nook between the piece of furniture and the wall, she crawled on all fours to the other side, making sure to keep moving so Baader couldn't hit her.

Several shots rang out, bursting through the cushion, causing fillings to burst through the room and Judy to duck on the floor, trying to get her body as much out of the line of fire as possible. The gunshots were so loud, she almost thought he was shooting at her from right beside her ears. Her world was ringing and she pressed her long sensitive ears on her head, not being able to hear the two mammal outside of the room now banging frantically on the door.

-o-

"HOPPS!" Bogo yelled, his heavy fists banging against the door, slight panic and anger rising inside of him. When Wolford had bursted through his office room, exclaiming his tiniest officer being in danger, Bogo was about to dismiss him, before they finally heard the dooming sounds of gunshots coming from the break room. Bogo had rushed to the room as fast as he could, Wolford closely following, concern and panic written on his face.

As much as Bogo didn't like the lapine, he still wasn't fond of losing another officer on his watch. He had attended enough funerals, and he would never get used to them.

Arriving at the break room, complete disaster was already waiting for him as he looked through the tiny window, the pitch black room only being illuminated by the moon now shining through the broken window and the occasional flash of a gun exploding. While the shooting told him, that whoever being targeted was still alive, it also told him that they were in immediate danger.

Not wasting any time, Bogo pulled back his heavy clenched fist, ready to save his officer.

Baader had enough. This assignment had been going on as long as it should have been. He had already managed to sneak into the ZPD wearing a fake uniform that was in such a perfect condition that no one had noticed his presence, allowing him to look for his target as if he had all the time in the world.

And now that he found his target, a cute little bunny at that, he thought this was a no brainer, a job done in a matter of seconds. But here he was, emptying his cartridge shooting at that damned elusive bunny that jumped and ran behind every piece of furniture in the dark room. Catching this bunny was harder than he had thought. Baader grinded his teeth as he aimed for the bunny that now hid behind the vending machine. He was finally fed up.

Stalking over to the machine he raised his weapon, ready to finally finish this damned task. He wouldn't disappoint his Father. As he finally stepped around the corner of the machine, weapon already raised and finger on the trigger ready to kill that bunny off, he came quickly to the realization that he was aiming at empty space.

Slightly baffled about the lack of bunny, he glanced around, not finding his target.

"What the-" he mumbled, before he was interrupted by a swift kick right on his temple, causing him to stumble and trip over his own tail. With a heavy groan he landed on his back while also dropping his weapon.

"Don't call me cute," a voice above him huffed, sounding slightly exhausted from all the running and jumping. While Baader had been emptying his weapon and wasted his time looking for her, Judy had used the precious seconds to climb up the vending machine, planning on an ambush attack. And fortunately it was a success.

Not paying the raging tiger any more attention, she quickly jumped from the machine, landing in a roll and swiftly hopping up the counter to the window. She almost forgot about Baader's Familiar as she barely escaped its fangs jumping out of the window and landing on a projecting roof in front of the building. Quickly picking herself up, she glanced up the broken window, barely missing the furious look in Baader's eyes as he was about to follow her.

Smiling teasingly, she spun around and sped down the street, as Baader's Familiar followed her out of the window not far behind her. She thought about how Jack and Nick were also likely in trouble and she needed to get to them as fast as possible, as she ran down the deserted street, the phantom closely behind her.

-o-

Baader watched from the broken window as his Familiar chased his target down the street. Even if the bunny had quite the head start, his Familiar wouldn't have any problems catching up to her and ripping her to pieces just like Father would want it. Smiling cockily, the tiger began to contemplate where he should meet up with his partner, as a smashing sound of something breaking shifted his attention to the previously locked door.

In the doorway stood a furious cape buffalo, nostrils flared and teeth grinding as he hissed through his teeth, "Who the hell are you?"

Bogo's menacing voice did nothing but causing Baader to grin, flashing his fangs as he slowly retreated backwards towards the window as he answered, his voice calm and condescending, "I'm the one who managed to break into the ZPD's Precinct 1."

Upon his answer Bogo clenched his fists almost hard enough to draw blood, before he pulled his tranquilizer gun. But he was too slow, as the unknown tiger was already out of the window, skillfully climbing up a drainpipe and onto the roof before vanishing into the night and out of reach for either Bogo or Wolford.

The wolf swallowed and clenched his paws nervously as he watched his boss trying to contain his rage. Wolford knew well enough from his many years on the force that if his boss was silently counting down to calm his nerves, the worst thing one could do was to interrupt him.

Before Wolford could retreat to safety, Bogo's menacing voice spoke up, his tone not leaving any room for objections, "Find Hopps. Now."

-o-

"Here we go." Nick grunted as he straightened himself from kneeling for about half an hour now as he had been working on his motorcycle. As soon as Jack had left, he had been inspecting the old machine and fixed anything that was out of place. Surprisingly the bike was in pretty good condition. Only a quick oil change, some adjustments and replacing missing parts and it was good to go. Even though working on it with just three fingers on his left paw made it a tidbit more difficult, he still managed, ignoring the pain and finishing his job.

As Nick stood in front of his beloved bike, soaked in sweat and oil, dressed in only his gym shorts and tank top, he wondered if he was still able to ride it. It did have been a while since the last time he rode it. Shrugging, he walked towards a small table with tools and other paraphernalia and picked up a water bottle before taking several gulps out of it.

The cool liquid felt refreshing and did its job in cooling his body down, as a sudden strange sensation creeped down his spine. A familiar aura and presence made its way into Nick's perception as he perked his ears, intently listening to any and every sound around him. Not moving his head, he diverted his eyes around the assumed empty hangar.

He knew someone was here. Someone sinister. Whatever mammal was now hiding inside his hangar was a threat and Nick knew he was in danger. But the realization didn't cause Nick to panic, quite on the contrary. The vulpine was as focussed as he had never been before, pretending as he was cluelessly drinking, when in reality he was waiting for the signal for his opponent to finally appear.

And just as Nick expected, the lights soon began to flicker until the air hangar was hulled in darkness, the faint moonlight filtering through the dirty windows on the ceiling. As everything went dead silent, Nick's paw slowly inched closer to the wrench on the table, when he eventually heard faint pawsteps stepping closer towards him.

"You know, it's considered rude to break into someone's home, right?" Nick spoke up nonchalantly, his voice echoing throughout the hangar. As he glanced around the dark room he could only make out the faint outlines of the numerous crates, boxes of junk, and other gizmos. His ears listened intently to the surroundings for anything out of place, his paw gripping the wrench tightly.

While Nick's fighting skills and experience left a lot to desire, he sure wasn't dumb. He was used to using his words and wits to escape fights he was obviously losing. And Nick was very well aware that he would definitely lose the fight that was about to happen.

And as he was already formulating an escape plan in his head, he finally heard it; the almost silent tapping of soft paws on the ground. Turning his head towards the source of the sound, he faced his opponent. Judging from the sounds, they must've been alone. _Good_ , Nick thought, _fewer problems to worry about._

Nick waited patiently as the mammal finally stepped out of the shadows, the darkness revealing a slim female cheetah dressed in black attire, walking in controlled, almost graceful strides towards Nick. She wasn't much taller than him, only about two feet but Nick could tell, he shouldn't judge his opponents based on looks. From the way the feline moved her body, every movement accurately controlled, he knew she wouldn't be easily beaten.

Deciding not to show he was intrigued, he held his stance, wrench still in his paw and looked straight into the jade eyes of the female. Her gaze was almost empty, expression lacking almost any indication of emotions, and her cold eyes almost sent a shiver down Nick's spine, but the vulpine quickly recollected himself as she cheetah stopped in front of him a few feet away.

"Usually, before I invite a girl over to my place, we go out to eat or something," Nick quipped as he tried to maintain his composure. The aura this cheetah emitted made him queasy. Something about her was unsettling, and it didn't sit right with Nick. And the fact that she barely reacted upon his quip, Nick's smirk slowly dropped.

 _Alright, so talking my way out won't be an option_ , Nick thought, a frown on his face. This cheetah was crazy, he knew it! He wouldn't stand a chance, he needed to get out of here. But ever since she had stepped out of the shadows, she hadn't left him out of sight, not even blinked.

As Nick began to start thinking of an escape plan, he almost yelped of surprise when the cheetah suddenly took a step forward. She graciously strode towards him, every movement like a paintbrush on the masterpiece that was her body. Her hips swayed in an alluring yet gracefully way that just drew Nick's eyes towards them. His mouth suddenly became dry and he couldn't move a muscle, frozen in place and eyes wide as the female cheetah inched closer and closer, now merely an inch away from his muzzle.

If this had been any other situation, Nick would've been more than flattered by the bold move, but as Nick looked into her pale expressionless eyes, he couldn't help but to swallow a lump in his throat, the fur on his tail standing on end. Confusion settled further into his mind as the cheetah began to sniff, her muzzle twitching. Nick's blood finally froze as a smile creeped on her face, a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes but was nonetheless frightening enough for Nick to take a cautious step back.

The suddenly smiling cheetah spoke up for the first time, her voice just as bittersweet as her aura.

"How exciting, another Magnolia," she purred slowly, her eyes never leaving Nick's, which widened slightly at her remark. _I haven't even summoned my Familiar! How could she know from just sniffing me?!_

Nick's mind went on overdrive as he tried to no avail to figure out how that feline was able to tell his ancestry just from his scent. But she didn't leave him any time for thinking as he suddenly felt the chilling metal on his skin. Looking down, he realized she had put a knife right on his throat, the weapon glinting dangerously in the moonlight, sharp enough to slit his jugular apart with just but a stroke. Swallowing carefully, Nick frowned as he looked back up into the smiling cheetah's face. He did the mistake of letting her distracting him. He had been so focussed on her movements, on her behavior, on her strange aura that he had missed the fact she had pulled a weapon on him. And now she had the upperhand. Nick kicked himself mentally for being so dumb.

"I'm sure you're _dying_ to know, how I found out about the blood that runs inside your veins, fox," she continued to purr, her muzzle so close to Nick's that he could feel her sweet breath on his fur. Her smell was just as enchanting as her looks, and it made Nick's stomach stirr.

"Not so big on words now, are you?" she cooed, as she pulled her face away, her knife still on his throat as she smiled at him down. Not getting an answer from Nick, whose mind was gradually panicking, she just shrugged slightly, wanting to finish this task as quickly as possible.

She was about to slit the fox' throat open, as Nick suddenly acted out on sheer panic, eyes clenched shut his body seemingly remembered the wrench in his paw as he swung it upwards, taking the cheetah by surprise as he knocked the knife out of her paws and causing her to take a step back. But as quickly she had lost her composure, she regained it just as fast as she dove forward, the knife tightly gripped in both of her paws as she aimed for the tod's heart.

Realizing Nick wasn't dead yet, he barely evaded her attack by jumping back and rolling out of the way, losing his wrench in the process. Deciding he didn't stand a chance against the larger feline, he quickly bolted from the open area and ran towards the maze-like structure the crates and boxes created. Before he vanished in the shadows, he snapped his fingers and summoned his Familiar, letting his trusted companion take care of the cheetah.

His Familiar wasted no time and bared its fangs while speeding towards the cheetah. As Nick dove behind some crates, he peeked over them at his Familiar running at the feline. Smiling confidently, he was sure that after cutting off his finger and increasing his Familiar's strength and size, it wouldn't have a problem to beat that crazy mammal.

Nick's smile quickly dropped as he witnessed how the cheetah skillfully sidestepped the oncoming attack of his Familiar, while gracefully spinning around and ramming her knife right into the beast's side, causing it to emit a high-pitched yowl before it vanished into the air and darkness. All of that without even twitching a single muscle on her face.

Feeling dread rising inside his body, Nick realized that her weapon had to be blessed and judging from her skill she had just showed, he wouldn't stand a single chance in a fight. He had to get out of here. He quickly spun around and sped down the maze, making sure not to make a single sound as he navigated through the darkness. He already knew how he would get out of here alive…

The cheetah snorted as she looked at the spot where the spirit was just mere moments ago before it had vanished into thin air.

 _That fox has apparently zero fighting experience_ , she thought, _Good._

Quickly sniffing the air, her immaculate sense of smell picked up the characteristic scent of musk and fox, as she followed the trail into the darkness. This job would be finished in a matter of minute, she was sure. That fox was easy prey for her. She would kill him quickly, she didn't even need to summon her Familiar as it was something she didn't like to do in the first place, and would dispose him cleanly without leaving any traces.

Just like Father wanted.

His heart felt like it would explode as he sprinted down the maze. Nick tried the best he could to remain silent, but the urge to survive and to get the hell away from her was stronger. Still, his paws barely made a sound as he skillfully maneuvered himself through the labyrinth. His plan was easy; lose her in the maze and get rid off her as long as it was possible, get to the motorcycle, and get the hell out of here.

As Nick was running down between the chaos, he quickly glanced up towards the ceiling. The faint moonlight only gave him so much to see, but as a predator and nocturnal mammal, his night vision helped him plenty navigating through the mess. He knew exactly where he was and judging by his surroundings, he must have been close to his bike.

Stopping behind a large crate, Nick sat down on his haunches, peeking over the box towards his bike. There it stood in the darkness, the metal of the engine reflecting the moonlight, as if it was calling out to Nick. And he was damn tempted to follow the call.

But not before checking his surroundings. Perking his ears and sniffing the air, he could make out the faint scent of cheetah around the hangar, but before he could do much as take a sniff, a sudden weight crashed down onto the crate he was just hiding behind. Stumbling backwards and landing on his tail, Nick looked up into the standing silhouette of the cheetah, her eyes shining just as dangerously as the knife in her paw. Her expression had returned to the aloof expression from earlier, and Nick's blood froze as she wasted no time, already pouncing on him.

He barely escaped her attack as she grazed his shoulder while he had been rolling to the side. Acting quickly, he grabbed a handful of sand and dirt, and hurled it into her surprised face, causing her to stop in her tracks hissing, rubbing the dirt out of her eyes. Seeing his opening, he bolted towards his bike, grunting in pain as his paw shot up to the wound.

As Nick was speeding towards the bike, the cheetah had regained her composure, now scowling slightly, more annoyed than angry. _Wasted enough time_ , she thought, as she finally snapped her fingers.

Not wasting another second on a helmet, Nick jumped on his bike and turned the keys which were already in the ignition, causing the engine to rumble. Thanking the gods that his repairing skills had saved him, he did not want to spend another minute with the lunatic cheetah as he hit the gas and began to speed through the hangar, bursting through the door. Glass, wood and metal flew through the air and before he knew it, he was outside in the cold nightair, speeding down the gravel road.

Looking into his side mirror, he saw the building shrinking in the distance, and for the first time that night, he was finally able to take a breath of relief. But the feeling quickly subsided as he noticed the growing form of something black following him and gradually gaining distance, its jade eyes sparkling brightly in the dark.

"Are you kidding me?! Of all the mammals, a fucking cheetah has to chase me?" Nick yelled, as she floored it, trying to gain speed and distance from the beast following him. He couldn't beat this spirit alone, Nick knew that. And he also knew if he was under attack, then his friends were most likely also in danger. He had to find them quickly before this would end in a disaster.

-o-

The cheetah stepped out of the hangar into the nightair as her jade eyes followed the fox speeding down the road, her spirit in tow. She didn't like summoning it since it felt strange to her, but she saw the necessity in the situation. Her Familiar was just as fast as her and would have no problems catching up to that rusty bike. She had full trust in her abilities to finish this job.

As she was contemplating whether to follow the fox as well, something inside her pocket suddenly vibrated. Quickly pulling out her phone, she checked the calling ID. Realizing it was her partner, she picked up and held the device to her ear as she spoke, "Ensslin speaking."

 _"En, sweetheart,"_ a voice cooed over the line. Ensslin growled slightly as she answered, "I told you to stop calling me that."

 _"Aw don't be such a spoilsport,"_ the voice pouted.

"Cut to the case, Baader," she curtly responded, her patience with her partner slowly fading.

 _"Fine. I ran into some complications regarding my target,"_ Baader began, his voice now sounding more professional as he spoke about the job, _"and judging from your mood, I guess you did too?"_

Ensslin merely grunted. _"I'll take that as a yes. Meet me at the Waterhole."_

With that the line went dead and Ensslin pocketed her phone as she looked back up into the night. Putting back on her aloof mask, she mulled over the situation. Apparently Baader had some difficulties with his target, just like she had with hers. But she was confident that they would finish this task one way or the other.

That is if Cypher would finish his task without any complications.


	12. The Ones We Leave Behind

_MERCUTIO_

_And to sink in it should you burden love-_

_Too great oppression for a tender thing._

_ROMEO_

_Is love a tender thing? It is too rough,_

_Too rude, too boist'rous, and it pricks like thorn._

_MERCUTIO_

_If love be rough with you, be rough with love._

_Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down._

_\- Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 4_

_20 years ago_

_"See? That one looks like a sheep."_

_"Oh! Now I can see it! And look, that one's a dragon!"_

_The wind carried the youthful chatter through the small opening in the woods, rustling the leaves up high on the treetops and filling the area with joy and warmth. The midday sun blazed upon the ground, while the shadows from the trees provided the welcoming escape from the heat. Small speckles of light were spread throughout the grass, as the occasional cloud loomed over the clearance. It was a picture perfect scene for the two mammals lying on the grass and staring up at the sky._

_The young wolf pointed with a clawed finger towards the blue sky as he exclaimed excitedly what he saw in the white clouds, while his friend, a young doe, followed his finger eagerly, a joyful sparkle in her green eyes._

_"You're right! I can see it," she agreed, as they lay spread out on the lush green grass, arms behind their heads and a lazy grin upon their faces._

_"It was a great idea to come here," the doe sighed dreamily, before she glanced at her friend, a facetious sparkle in her eyes as she continued, "Who would've thought. You and good ideas."_

_The canine beside her closed his eyes and snorted, smile widening as he replied nonchalantly, "What can I say, I'm full of surprises."_

_The air was filled with bright laughter as the doe chuckled from his quip, and the wolf relished in the beautiful sound that was pure music in his ears._

_"That you are," the doe chuckled as she grinned, looking at her friend her gaze softened, her voice tender like silk, barely more than a whisper, "That's why I love you."_

_Opening his ruby eyes, the young wolf reciprocated her gaze, his sparkling eyes full of love and affection for the most important mammal in his life. He rolled on his side, arms supporting his head as he looked down at his mate. His voice was low as he spoke, his paw lazily drawing lines into the grass._

_"Is that so?" he said, his gaze drawn to the face of the doe, her soft features and stunning green eyes nothing short of gorgeous, "I find it difficult to believe that. Maybe I need to hear it more often.." he suggested, his paw inching closer to hers and smiling tenderly._

_She mimicked his position as she rolled to her side, facing him as her hooves touched his slightly bigger paw. Upon contact a shiver ran down her spine and after all the time they had already spent together, her heart rate still spiked when she looked into his loving ruby eyes. She admired his immaculate white fur dancing as the wind blew through the clearing, and as she spoke she couldn't help but smile broadly._

_"Oh no, young man," she whispered, her muzzle slowly inching closer as her eyelids fell shut, "You're going to need to work for it.."_

_As their lips touched, the world around them disappeared. All the sounds from the wind to the occasional chirp from the birds, the blazing heat and the bright sun, everything vanished in a blur as the couple sunk into their own world. A world where they wouldn't be judged for who they loved. A world where they could feel whatever they wanted, do whatever they wanted._

_The kiss was short and sweet, innocent yet full of passion and love for each other, as they parted and gazed into each other's eyes, longing and affection apparent._

_Not a lot of mammals agreed on their relationship. They were looked down upon, they were bullied and assaulted, insulted and humiliated. But it did nothing but to strengthen the bond between them. He loved her with every inch of his body and she did the same._

_Their paws tightened around each other, as they relished in the short intimate moment, but the wolf reluctantly broke the contact, as he looked down on the grass, his tender expression morphing into a concerned one. As much as he liked to spend time with his love, he had learned early on that everything that was good had to end._

_"I have to go," he said softly, his voice barely audible, as the doe watched him wistfully, yet understanding. She knew just as much as him, that their time together was limited. She listened as he continued, "You know just as well as I do that today is initiation day. I can't stay."_

_For every member of his family came the day when one had to prove oneself if one was fit enough to be considered a full member. He had gone through a lot of harsh training, a lot of humiliation and beatings as the training was rather reckless and rough. Rarely did he experience respect or mercy, and he had learned from a young age that failure was not an option, the many scars throughout his body being proof._

_While he had been under training, he not only learned how to control his abilities, he also learned a lot how to handle his emotions. Other mammals tended to call him too 'emotional' or 'timid'. Many times did he ask himself, why it was considered wrong for him to respect another mammal, especially prey. Why it was wrong for him to feel, to love a mammal no matter what species. One way or the other, he was considered unfit. And this didn't sit right with him. He had a duty to fulfill as a member of this family, and he had sworn he would work as hard as he could to reach his goal. And if it meant to lock his feelings away in order not to seem vulnerable, then so be it._

_At least he thought so. Because once she had walked into his life, his whole resolve slowly crumbled. Her beauty, her heart, and her soul taught him again how to feel and how to cherish life. He began to live again._

_But he never forgot his duty. As time went on, he grew closer to her, and so did the Initiation Day. And he knew ultimately he would have to choose. Either he would go with her and live a free live while risking to be killed by his family, or follow the path he was destined for and locking his feelings away._

_He already knew the answer._

_"I know," she whispered, as she sat up straight, grabbing his face with both of her hooves. His fur was coarse and rough, yet it felt like heaven on her skin as she ran her finger through his facial fur._

_"Just promise me, you won't forget me," she whispered, her voice forcing the wolf to make eye contact. Every resolve to leave her behind and to take the next step into his new life broke, as he looked into the mistful green pools, filled with so much love and pain he dreaded he would drown in them. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he croaked his reply, every word jabbing into his heart._

_"I won't."_

_She nodded curtly. It hurt her to no end to let him go, but she knew she couldn't keep him. It was too dangerous. She knew, where he was going, she couldn't possibly follow him. It would mean both of their deaths. So instead of wasting any more words, she decided to relish the last few moments before she would most likely never see him again._

_And as the wolf reluctantly parted from their hug, standing up and pulling her up with him, he grabbed her hoof one last time. He would ingrain her touch, her sweet scent, her beautiful stunning face into his memory, hoping he would never forget her._

_Without another word, he broke the contact and strode from the clearing into the woods, leaving her and the idyllic scenery he had cherished so much behind. He didn't dare to look back, fearing her heartbreaking expression would make him stay. He mustn't stay. Their love couldn't be, especially not now. He had a job to do and a promise to keep. This was his destiny, his purpose. And he would not disappoint his family, no matter what._

_She would be always inside his heart, but for now Cypher had to prove himself to be a fitting member of the family. As he vanished between the trees, he forced his feelings away, pushing them back into the depths of his heart, focussing on the task at hand._

_Failure was not an option._

_-o-_

_Today_

To say he was nervous would be the biggest understatement of the year. Jack could literally feel his heart almost jumping out of his throat as he stumbled through the deserted alleys and streets of Zootopia, the street lights the only means for him to navigate his way safely through the darkness. It was fairly cold for the time of the year and Jack was glad he had taken a long jacket with him, keeping him warm and its dark color hidden in the shadows.

He knew he couldn't risk being seen by anyone as he didn't know who he really could trust, beside Nick and Judy. Thinking about his friends Jack started to worry, and it actually worsened his nervosity. Collecting himself and pushing the uncomfortable thoughts away, Jack tried to focus on his task; finding Nick's journal so he can finally rescue his Skye.

As he already knew where Nick's shop was, it was fairly easy for him to locate it. Looking down the dark streets he found what he was looking for. There it was, brick facade and grimy windows, and above all of it a banner saying " _Wilde & Son's_".

Knowing Nick for years now, he was aware of Nick's talent and passion for tailoring, and even though Jack didn't like to admit it, he was a little bit jealous of the vulpine's crafty paws. Jack had always been keen on things involving creativity, whether it being art or poetry. It fascinated him how mammals are able to create something completely new out of nothing but an idea in your mind. And to manifest it into matter was something Jack truly admired, since he himself wasn't really the most creative rabbit.

As Jack came closer to the store, he began to crouch down below the windows of the store, actually feeling safer being close to the ground. It gave him the feeling to be smaller, therefore harder to be seen. Trying not to give a single sound, Jack silently sneaked closer to the short case of stairs leading up to the front door. He carefully peeked into the shop and upon seeing nothing but creeping darkness, he realized much to his disappointment that he wouldn't be able to see the journal from here. He had no other choice but to enter.

Jack quickly ascended the stairs and faced the closed glass door, a "closed" sign hanging on it. Knowing the door was closed, Jack began to tap himself, looking for the keys which were somewhere in his jacket. He felt a small bulge, but reaching into the pocket he quickly realized he had grabbed the blessed gun Nick had also given him.

 _Almost forgot it_ , Jack remembered, the feeling of unease growing tenfold as the realization hit him of what kind of situation he was in. The fact he held a gun, a lethal gun carrying all too real bullets made for killing caused his heart rate to suddenly spike, and Jack had to force the weapon back into his pocket, swallowing heavily as he continued to look for the key. Finding the object, he held it with trembling paws as he proceeded to unlock the shop, before he finally entered the dark shop of his friend.

Escaping from the cold night air into the relative warmth of the room, Jack immediately began to take a shuddering breath. He had to force himself to stay calm, reminding himself of the importance of his task.

Before he had left the hangar, Nick had explained to him what kind of knowledge the journal held. Aside from information about the Magnolia and its workings, it also held a wide variety of spells and magic. As Jack recalled from Nick's explanation, some of the spells included more harmless ones just like summoning a Familiar. While the summoning part wasn't dangerous, what one would want to do with the Familiar was another thing.

And then there were what Nick called the forbidden spells. Nick explained that his father had collected the spells over his lifetime, though not explaining anywhere how he had gotten ahold of them. These spells were considered forbidden because they included altering one's soul and empirical body, like cutting off certain body parts in exchange for power. The fact that by simply sacrificing a body part in order to increase one's power was a frightening notion for Jack, and according to Nick, there were certain spells beyond those forbidden ones. Spells that infringed the limits of one's power, being able to alter reality altogether. Nick had warned Jack, not under any circumstances to let the journal fall into wrong paws, particularly the Magnolia as the classified information inside the journal would be devastating in their paws.

The pressure upon Jack shoulder's seemed to get heavier by the minute as he came face to the gravity of his task. He needed to find that journal quickly before anything wrong happened. And with Jack's luck, he knew bad luck was just around the corner.

As Jack creeped through the rows and aisles of suits and clothes, his blue eyes darted to and fro in the darkness, focussed on finding the journal. The dusty shelves and furniture gave the shop an eerie flair, as if Nick would never clean his shop. Yet, Jack noticed, the suits on the shelves were in surprisingly pristine condition, none of them even showing a hint of dirt or dust. They were immaculate in any way, whether it was its condition or the quality.

Jack admired his friend's handiwork for a moment, before he continued his search. Coming upon the counter at the end of the room adjacent to the front door, he rounded the piece of furniture and entered the private area. Aside from a cash register and a pinboard, Jack couldn't see anything out of place. But knowing the journal wouldn't just lie around in the open, he decided to investigate further. Looking through several drawers and shelves, Jack could only find random office equipments.

"Where is it," he mumbled to himself, as panic slowly rose inside of him. The longer he would spend in this shop, the more exposed he felt. It didn't sit right with him and he wanted nothing more than to just get the heck out of here. As Jack was about to give up and look anywhere else, his eyes fell upon a book in a blank fake leather binding hidden among the junk deep inside the drawer. It looked old, the pages yellow and worn and while it didn't look special, Jack could feel that he had found it.

Quickly opening the journal, he sifted through the content, looking for any indication that he was holding the right book. Recognizing some content from Nick's explanations, Jack almost let out a cry of triumph as a satisfied grin settled upon his face. He had found it, and now he just had to return safely to the hangar like nothing had happened.

Then he would finally be a step further in finding Skye.

Quickly stowing the journal away in his jacket, Jack was about to rush to the door to leave the dark store, as a sudden sparkle caught his eye. Stopping in his tracks Jack followed the sparkle and his blue eyes fell upon something metal. The faint moonlight shone through the grimy windows and the metal object reflected it nicely.

Intrigued by the glistening object, Jack decided to investigate it. Stepping closer on the object, which was lying on top of the counter, his blue eyes shifted from confused to utterly horrified as he realized what he was looking at.

The metal windings, the little sparkling gem stone. Everything was horribly familiar, as he was the one who had bought the object all those years ago. All those years ago when he had asked Skye a life changing question, resulting in being one of Jack's happiest moments. Jack's body began to tremble as he reached out with a shivering paw, grabbing the object and staring at it with disbelieving eyes. Upon closer inspection there was no longer any doubt about what he was holding in his paws.

It was Skye's wedding band.

-o-

Her heart was racing and her legs began to tire as she rounded corner after corner, trying to find her way through the dark alleyways as she was sprinting from the phantom closely behind her. Judy had dropped onto all fours as she was way faster this way, her lungs screaming for air as she tried to get rid off her pursuer. She kicked down several garbage bins and crates, trying to divert the beast or anything to keep it off of her.

It had been about ten minutes ago since she had ran away from the precinct, Familiar in tow, and even though she had a pretty good stamina, she could feel her strength slowly fading.

 _This isn't good_ , Judy thought, glancing over her shoulder at her pursuer. The tiger phantom was slowly catching up to her as Judy struggled to stay away from its deadly claws. Returning her gaze to her front, her amethyst eyes widened upon seeing a wire fence blocking her way. Thinking quickly, she jumped off the ground onto a dumpster nearby and catapulted herself skillfully and elegantly over the fence, before continuing her run. Glancing back she saw the beast leaping over the fence effortlessly, though a bit delayed. Clenching her teeth she forced herself to run faster as she exited the alleyway. Quickly glancing up at the street sign and recognizing the area she was in, she oriented herself before taking a sharp right turn, now running down the deserted street at night. She knew she was close to a wide canal at the outskirts and while the wide area would give her less coverage, it would also give her more room for movement if she was to fight and evade the beast. She quickly pulled out her phone, and seeing it had only little battery before it would die, Judy cursed silently before she dialed 911.

Waiting a couple seconds, she could already the the alleyway leading towards the canal, until a chipper voice finally answered the call.

"911, how ca-"

"Clawhauser!" Judy yelled into her phone, interrupting the receptionist, "No time! I need back up immediately, I'm at the canal south from Palm Street! I have a 10-91V and need immediate back up! Quick!"

Not waiting for an answer she ended the call and shoved the phone back into her pocket before continuing her run.

Sprinting towards the canal and leading the beast blindly to it, she swiftly slid down the slope and skittered across the wet surface of the canal. A weak stream of water was flowing down the canal, and Judy had to watch her pawsteps so she wouldn't slip. Looking back at her opponent, she could see the beast had lost its footing and skittered for a couple seconds across the wet surface, giving Judy much needed time to get away.

Confidence growing inside of her she ran further down the canal, until her heart leaped as she suddenly lost her grip, slipping on the slippery surface and causing her to stumble painfully on the ground.

Cursing to herself, she quickly picked herself up and ignored the dull pain on her side as she frantically continued to run. She knew her mistake had granted the beast to catch up and she could practically feel its cold breath breathing down her neck and ears as she forced herself to move faster. This was a close race, and she was about to lose.

Judy prayed to any higher power, as her keen hearing suddenly picked up the roaring engine behind her. Eyes widening she glanced back and she could barely trust her eyes as she recognized a particular red fox riding a motorcycle, speeding down the canal towards her, behind him another phantom.

"Carrots! Grab my hand!" Nick reached out with his paw as he caught up to her, now the two phantoms behind them.

Thinking quickly Judy increased her speed before she jumped off the ground, the momentum carrying her across the air, until a dark furred paw grabbed her own, pulling her towards the fox before she slumped on the seat behind him, both of them now speeding down the canal, water splashing to and fro.

Breathing heavily Judy glanced back and saw how they gained distance from the beasts, before she let out a breath of relief, "Sweet cheese and crackers! That was close. How did you know where I was?"

"I didn't. I was driving away from that lunatic and saw you running down the canal, so I thought, why not be a knight in shining armor and save the damsel in distress?" Nick answered without looking back, still focussed on maneuvering the bike through the canal and evading the beasts, but Judy could clearly feel him smirking, causing her to frown.

"I wasn't in _distress_ , I had everything under control," she defiantly replied.

"Sure you did. A simple thank you would be enough, you know?" Nick answered, glancing into the side mirrors, seeing they gained a good distance from the Familiars, his heart slowly relaxing as he maneuvered them through the canal towards his shop couple blocks away.

He didn't expect an answer from the stubborn bunny, which was why he was slightly surprised as he heard a silent "Thank you."

Nick didn't answer immediately as he continued to drive, and Judy almost believed he hadn't heard her, until he finally turned his head so he could look at her from the corner of his eye, his expression oddly soft, "You're welcome."

As Judy sat behind him, her paws holding onto his shirt for dear life, she thought about how the tod had saved her life again, and she had yet to repay him somehow. Memories of what he had said to Jack collided with the thoughts and again, mixed feeling began to churn up inside of her.

Shaking her head and suppressing the feelings, she decided she would think about it later, as for right now she had more pressing matters.

"Nick, we have to get to Jack, he's proba-"

"No need to remind me , Carrots. I already figured," he answered as his eyes turned back to the street, already directing them to his shop towards his friend in need.

-o-

The white gold was immaculately polished, while the small diamond on top of it sparkled like a star in the dark room, reminding him of her bright soul so full of love and light. It was the symbol of their never ending love, which was supposed to be on her finger.

But right now it was in Jack's very own paws.

"It's a beautiful little thing."

The sudden voice broke the silence and almost made Jack jump of surprise if he wasn't already beyond terrified. Slowly spinning around he looked into the dark room, looking for the source of the voice. And finally he faced the familiar enormous white wolf, ruby eyes sparkling dangerously in the dark shop standing relaxed in the shadows.

Jack was frozen in place, his paw clutching the wedding band tightly as he faced his enemy, the mammal he had hoped the most not to see this evening.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, resolve and anger rose inside of Jack, as he faced the mammal responsible for all of this. Responsible for bringing chaos into his live. Responsible for taking his Skye away.

Cypher watched the rabbit across from him closely as he saw how his nervous and flummoxed expression morphed into a serious one, almost furious. He saw the fire in those icy blue eyes as he continued to talk.

"You know, I used to be like you," the enormous wolf began to walk around the dark room, his gaze wandering around the shop as if he was admiring the handiwork, his paws occasionally brushing against the suits. While he talked, Jack slowly moved his paw inside his pocket, reaching for his gun while closely watching Cypher's movements. His heart was surprisingly steady, his trembling had stopped and his mind was calm. He had only one thing to focus on, and his anger was fully channeled towards the talking wolf.

"Full of fire, passion, and love," Cypher spat the last word out as if it was bile, his expression crunching up in resentment as he turned towards Jack to face the rabbit and facing the other end of the gun. Jack pointed the deadly weapon straight into Cypher's face, but instead of a stunned expression, his expression only turned amused.

"And full of surprises."

Jack held the weapon steady in his paws, clutching it hard enough for his knuckles to turn white and gritted teeth as he hissed his next words out, anger and fury apparent in his low voice, "Where is she?"

Cypher on the other paw was cool as a cucumber while standing at gunpoint. He crossed his arms before he responded in an even tone, "Who?"

His nonchalant response only increased Jack's anger. The hare let out a low growl as his finger slowly pressed upon the trigger, but something inside Jack clicked before he could pull it. A subconscious urge told him to halt his movement, that something was utterly wrong. A familiar feeling crept up his spine and Jack reluctantly released the trigger, yet his finger never leaving it.

He swallowed as he continued to aim the weapon at the relaxed wolf,

"You know exactly who I'm talking about. Where is Skye?"

A smirk on Cypher's muzzle grew upon his response. He proceeded to lift his arms in a placating manner, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he retorted.

"Fine, you got me. I know who you're talking about. Unfortunately," he sighed mockingly before continuing, "she's gone. I'm sorry, buddy." Jack became more furious by the second for not being taken seriously, though he felt conflicted about pulling the trigger. He couldn't fight this way, he had to get out of here. His mind began to formulate escape plans as Cypher continued.

"I don't believe you. Skye doesn't die this easily. Where is she?" Jack's voice rose gradually as he took another step forward, the three foot rabbit aiming a gun at the seven foot wolf. Jack had difficulties trusting anything this wolf had to say. The way the canine talked, the way he acted signalled Jack that he was obviously lying. One didn't have to be a genius to see that the wolf was leading Jack on.

As if everything was just a game to him, Cypher snickered lowly, amusement flickering in his ruby eyes as he shrugged and answered, "Believe what you want. I told you the truth. Now.."

Before Jack could think further about his wife, the enormous wolf in front of him drew his sword from the sheath behind his back, the white metal glinting dangerously in the moonlight from the windows. Jack gripped his gun ever tighter as he swallowed. He had never fought before, and being confronted with this particular wolf for the second time didn't exactly calm his nerves. Instead Jack's heart threatened to burst out of his chest, as his sweaty paws handled the lethal weapon. He could pull the trigger any time, he knew that. And that was exactly the problem.

"..it's time to finish this damn job. You've been elusive long enough, rabbit."

Cypher cornered the rabbit in two quick strides, causing the rabbit to take several anxious steps back until he was right at the counter, his back pressed on the wood as he glared nervously at the wolf.

Whatever he thought of the rabbit, Cypher couldn't deny that he was quite brave for still keeping his wits and able to aim the weapon calmly as he was literally cornered by the twice as big wolf wielding a sword. The bunny would die honorably in a fight, at least that he could give him. Cypher pulled his right arm back, ready to strike and end the lapine's life, and in that final moment Jack finally collected himself enough to do what he had promised Skye he would never do again.

He pulled the trigger.

Closing his eyes and folding his ears behind his back, the gun exploded and the recoil pushed him painfully against the counter. Cypher, having quick reflexes and being prepared for such a kind of counterattack, reacted quickly and blocked off the bullet skillfully with his sword, the bullet hitting the hardened metal harmlessly before dropping onto the wooden floor.

Smoke rose from the gun and the smell of burnt gunpowder wafted through the room and Jack expected to smell blood, but as he noticed the particular lack of said scent, he opened his eyes and saw the unharmed white wolf in front of him. He was standing mere meters in front of him, his word in front of his chest and a neutral expression on his face. Not giving Jack a second to catch his breath, Cypher dashed forward and aimed his weapon straight for Jack's head, but instead his sword only penetrated cheap wood, as the lapine dove out of the way in the last millisecond. The bunny rolled behind on of the shelves standing in the room, not wasting another second as he sprinted towards the door.

He was desperately inferior in a fight against this wolf and he needed to get out of here. But before Jack could reach the exit, he was cut off by a familiar shadow with burning red eyes. Cursing under his breath Jack stopped dead in his tracks. He almost forgot about the Familiar, and he also almost forgot the blessed weapon in his paws. Raising the weapon and aiming at the beast, he was about to pull the trigger before wood splinters and shredded clothes were blocking his vision, causing him to stumble backwards heavily.

Cypher stood behind the shelf, his sword protruding through the wood as he had been trying to pierce the weapon through the shelf and Jack behind it. Fortunately he had missed him by mere inches, but also preventing Jack from pulling the trigger as he was now facing two enemies.

 _This is bad_ , Jack thought as he spun around and ran around the corner of the room behind another shelf. He needed to get a clear shot to incapacitate the Familiar and he couldn't get it while Cypher was hunting him.

Meanwhile Cypher was listening intently for the footsteps of the rabbit as he penetrated shelf after shelf with his sword, missing the bunny only barely or only grazing him. He sliced and cut through several suits, not caring for collateral damage as he tried to finally catch that damn rabbit.

Being finally fed up the wolf merely snorted as he stopped his attacks. Instead he stood as still as he could in the dark room, well aware of the armed rabbit in the shadows. He needed to act quickly before giving him the opening to attack. And as he perked his ears, he finally heard the rabbit stopping his running behind one of the shelves left from him. Moving skillfully without making a sound, the wolf dashed for the shelf and quickly cut the piece of furniture into two pieces, again barely missing the bunny. But instead of letting him run off again, Cypher saw through it and shot his left arm out, grabbing the bunny by his long ears and causing him to cry out in pain.

Without another word and before Jack could understand what was happening, Cypher hurled him with gusto towards one of the large display windows, causing the prey mammal to crash loudly through the glass and landing with a heavy thud on the asphalt outside the shop and dropping his weapon during his painful landing. Jack grunted as he laid sprawled out on the boardwalk among the glass shards. His whole body ached and he could feel his old wounds opening up again, as he felt the warm blood dripping down his shoulders and arms. He had barely the strength to heave himself up, as his ears picked up the sound of someone stepping closer.

"You know," the voice began, his tone low and neutral, "In all of my years as enforcer, never had I failed a task before. And then you came along."

Jack forced his eyelids open as he looked at the white wolf looming over him, his ruby eyes burning with anger while his face remained eerily neutral. Jack's air was pushed out of his lungs as the heavy weight of the canine's foot pressed on his smaller body, causing him to croak as he gasped for air. Jack struggled to punch the foot away, Cypher was too big for the bunny to do anything. It was over.

"I know what you did, Savage," Cypher growled before he laid the point of his sword onto Jack's throat, cutting off any movement from the panicking bunny, "You have betrayed us in the most disgusting way, and you will pay redemption for your actions. And aside from that, I will finally get rid off you _pest._ "

Jack closed his eyes as he slowly felt his limbs going numb. His lungs struggled to push oxygen into his blood and he felt lightheaded. He was barely able to move, before he felt the weight on his chest increasing as Cypher bent down to speak into his ears, even though Jack was barely listening anymore.

"But before you meet your maker," Cypher whispered, "let me tell you a secret."

Jack didn't care about any secrets, and in his head he was already beginning to recap his life. He remembered the mammals he loved, the mammals that were truly important to him. Skye. Nick. Judy. He remembered the sins he had committed, the mammals he had hurt..

But before his mind could completely vanish into unconsciousness, the last words from his tormenter ripped him violently from his haze.

"I never said she was dead. As I said before, I was telling the truth. And you won't be here any longer to see her face ever again. This is the price you pay for your actions, Savage. Good bye."

Jack struggled weakly in vain upon hearing from Skye as Cypher straightened himself, the sword still on the bunny's throat. Jack could feel the amount of pressure on his throat increase and the skin breaking from the weapon, but before the wolf could finally kill the rabbit and finish his job like his boss expected from him, the last thing both of them heard was the roaring engine of a motorcycle behind them before the world exploded and they were engulfed by fire and destruction.


	13. Failure

_"I see you walking out that door,_

_Wonder why it took you so long."_

_-Daniel Caesar, We Find Love_

_32 years ago_

_Ginormous thunderclouds loomed over Zootopia as heavy raindrops fell upon the houses and buildings of the city, the strong howling wind gusts blowing anything away that wasn't nailed down. The moonlight was dimmed by the cloud blankets and for any poor soul out on the streets it was a difficult task to even see anything._

_It was the perfect condition for one particular mammal as he ran through the monsoon, panting heavily as he gasped for air while frantically looking over his shoulder, making sure his tormentors weren't after him. Even though he couldn't see anything through the heavy rain, his instincts told him to make sure he wasn't pursued. Fur and clothes completely drenched in rainwater, the mammal sprinted through dark alleyways, trying to make out his way in the labyrinth of the metropolis, as he held onto a small bundle of blankets against his chest, shielding it carefully from the rain._

_Upon arriving at a corner of an alley leading out onto the empty streets, the mammal stopped in his tracks to catch his breath, emerald eyes roaming the area as he made sure he was truly alone. He had done a terrible mistake, a mistake that would mean his and his friend's life if he wasn't careful. No one must know where he was going and who he was going to meet._

_As he caught his breath he remembered the obscenities and cruelties he had witnessed a couple days earlier. Life and death of millions of mammals depended on him and if he would arrive at his destination. Hugging the small bundle he carried closely to his chest, he took a deep breath before stepping out onto the streets into the pouring rain, his soaked clothes heavy from the water and making it harder for him to move._

_He was fleeing. Running for his life. He had seen things he wasn't supposed to see. And he knew he would pay the price. But looking down at the bundle in his arms, he knew his son didn't have to pay for the mistake he had made. He would rather die before he would see them with his son in their paws. Hugging the small mammal close to his chest, he continued his way down the streets until he arrived at the building he was seeking._

_Bright neon lights were the only source of light illuminating the streets, as the mammal steered his way towards the glass doors of the diner. Passing by the windows, he couldn't see any mammals sitting inside at this time and he let out a breath of relief before entering the warm interior and escaping the wet hell._

_Much to his relief no one seemed to have followed him of caught onto what he had done. Striding through the empty diner, he passed the typical red leather seats and the white polished counter as he finally caught his breath before calling out,_

_"Fanny! Where are you?", he shouted before he rounded the counter, entering the private area. He was about to enter the kitchen as he was suddenly thrown backwards, the door almost hitting his sensitive nose. Startled, he took a few steps back before he looked into the surprised gray eyes of a stunned lynx._

_"John," the young feline spoke up, still surprised by the sudden appearance of the red fox she hadn't seen for such a long time, "what.. what are you doing here? Where have you been? And why a-"_

_John quickly hushed her by waving his arm in front of her face, much to her dismay as she harrumphed and sent a glare in his direction before he continued,_

_"There's no time," he spoke in a hushed voice, obviously upset. Seeing the usually good natured canine being so unsettled raised many red flags, but she remained silent, ready to hear him out._

_"Listen Fanny, I've done a mistake, a horrible mistake. But I had no choice," he was terribly out of breath from all the running and the panic rising inside of him. He couldn't stay for long or otherwise everything would have been in vain. He carefully handed her the bundle in his arms, not leaving any room for objection as Fanny was too surprised to react. Now standing in front of the fox with the little bundle of blankets in her arms, she looked flabbergasted into his sad emerald eyes, misty with tears as he choked out his words,_

_"I'm sorry Fanny, but I had to do it. Lives are depending on this, and by God I can't risk him."_

_Looking down at the bundle she held, she cautiously moved the blanket away, revealing a small fox cub, still sleeping peacefully. Widening her gray eyes, she looked at John, understanding dawning upon her,_

_"John, what are you saying? What have you done?" she asked, her voice calm, hiding the storm inside of her. Sad emeralds met concerned eyes as John spoke up, his voice full of grief._

_"I'm sorry. I can't explain now, but you have to take this," he said as he then handed her a small booklet, a journal in fake leather binding, thrusting the object into her paw. "Promise me to protect this and my little Nicky with your life."_

_"John, I-"_

_"PROMISE ME."_

_Shutting her mouth, the lynx' eyes jumped from the kit to the book and back to the now silently crying father. She had known John for years and never had she seen him this upset. She knew he liked to keep secrets from her, about where he came from or what he did in his spare time, but she never bothered to ask further, respecting his privacy. But seeing the crying father now in front of her broke her resolve. She needed to know._

_"John," she began calmly and as John was about to object she raised her paw, stopping him, "I promise to protect your son. But I won't take this booklet before you tell me what this is about."_

_The panicking fox in front of her clenched his eyes shut as he shook his head as she tried to shove the booklet back into his paws, his arms waving frantically in front of her, before he looked over his shoulder, his unsettling eyes roaming the dark streets outside._

_"Fanny, I don't have the time to explain," he whispered through clenched teeth, his desperate emeralds yearning for understanding and help, "Please, just take it. Everything will be explained once you read it. Please."_

_Upon hearing his pleading Fanny finally relented and took the book with her free paw, her other arm holding the sleeping infant. Her ears perked up as John again spoke up,_

_"Promise me one more thing," the fox stared at her with such desperate eyes, Fanny felt like she would have done anything John would have asked of her. She nodded curtly as she listened intently._

_"Don't ever tell him who I was," he whispered, his voice stricken with grief as he looked down at his son. For the last time he knew, he would be able to see his son, his little baby. Lovingly the father gave it a little peck on its forehead, tears running down his face, knowing he would likely die very soon and never be able to see his Nicky growing up._

_"I don't want him to think of me or himself badly," he whispered as he looked back up into Fanny's gray eyes. The feline was completely stunned, not knowing how to react upon the request of the grieving father as she just nodded quietly._

_Before Fanny could do as much as utter something, the fox was already stumbling back and running wordlessly out of the door into the pouring rain, leaving a flummoxed lynx and a sleeping fox kit behind. Collecting herself she ran after him out of the diner, standing in the door as she looked out into the deserted streets. Clenching her eyes she couldn't see anything through the rain. John was gone._

_Grief and reality finally settled in her heart as she realized that this meeting was their final one and John's farewell. Remembering his promise, she stepped back into the warmth, not wanting to wake the kit up as she sat down on the barstool. She carefully opened the journal, causing a small slip of paper falling onto the counter. Intrigued, Fanny bent down and picked the piece of paper up, still holding onto the sleeping fox kit, as she began to read the note._

_"Fanny, I'm sorry I had to pull you into this mess, but I had no other choice and you are the only mammal I can really trust. You have always been a good and understanding friend, and I hope you can understand why I had to do this._

_This journal is a collection of all the spells and knowledge I have collected over the past days while working as a registrar for the Magnolia family, an underground crime gang. I know what you are probably thinking. What is this gang? How did I get in? What was I doing? What has this to do with anything?_

_But none of that is important right now. Fanny, this journal consists dangerous magic. Magic that is able to kill millions of mammals. And you have to protect it with your life. The Magnolia must not under any circumstances get this journal into their paws. It is the last known protocol of the forbidden spells. I have broke into their archive and wrote down everything I could before burning it all down. And now I will pay for my mutiny._

_Please protect this journal and my son from the mistakes I have done, but I had no other choice. It was either me or Zootopia._

_Please forgive me. Tell Nicky I love him._

_-John "_

-o-

"Good bye."

Cypher stared down at the struggling rabbit under his foot, the point of his sword on his throat as the wolf was about to finally end the life of this elusive vermin, until his ears suddenly perked, picking up the distant sound of an engine roaring into their direction, the sound growing louder and louder.

The wolf tore his gaze from the rabbit, sword still steady on his throat, and looked curiously over his shoulder. Red eyes widened as he looked down the deserted street, not believing what he was seeing. Before Cypher could do as much as utter a stunned "What the-", the world around him exploded, a heatwave carrying him off his feet and causing him to crash heavily onto the asphalt, flames and debris surrounding him, before his world finally went black.

-o-

_Seconds prior_

"I can see them!"

Nick's voice was barely audible as he sped down the street, the speed limit long forgotten and the engine roaring like a dragon as Judy held onto his shirt for her dear life. Her ears were fluttering helplessly behind her as her wide amethyst eyes stared ahead into the direction they were driving, seeing two distant shapes. Forcing herself to focus on the two instead of not dying, she quickly distinguished the two shapes as a huge white wolf looming over a rabbit, and her heart dropped as she saw a sword in the canine's paw and its point on the rabbit's throat.

"Jack!" she shouted, panic rising inside of her. Believing they were too late, she suddenly felt the urge to just jump off the bike and run towards her friend in need. But knowing that jumping off would be a bad idea she instead yelled into the fox's ears in front of her.

"Nick! What should we do?!"

Not seeing or hearing the fox reacting, Judy almost believed he didn't hear her, until he finally replied, their bike quickly coming closer to the wolf. Nick knew his plan wasn't the best, or even the smartest, but seeing the wolf that was about to kill his friend didn't exactly leave him any time to think. So instead of thinking rationally, Nick replied with the only plan he could think of right now,

"Hold onto me, Carrots! We're gonna jump off!"

 _Are you serious?!_ Judy asked herself dumbfoundedly, before the fox was suddenly grabbing her.

He didn't wait for a response as he accelerated his motorcycle, already going over 70 mph as he steered the vehicle towards a parked van on the side of his shop, close to the wolf and Jack. All he heard was a surprised yelp from the rabbit behind him before he quickly turned around while seated, wrapping Judy up into his arms as he jumped from the bike. Being airborne for a couple seconds, Nick held his breath before he painfully impacted with the asphalt, the air being pushed out of his lungs as his body screaming in pain. Strengthening his grip around the bunny Nick tried to wrap his body the best he could around her while they rolled down the street, the momentum carrying them several feet across the asphalt.

Before the duo came to a halt, a deafening boom echoed through the neighborhood and a heatwave wafted like a burning cascade towards them. Forcing his aching body to move, he unwrapped himself from the unmoving bunny as he checked himself for any injuries. It seemed he had a damned good guardian angel on his side, as aside from the unbearable pain and a few scratches, he couldn't feel any broken bones. Barely able to move his head as he lay on the ground, he moved his eyes towards his shop, now seeing what resembled a warzone. Debris and burning metal were laying here and there, the impact of the driverless motorcycle into the parking van causing them to explode into a fierce fireball, the gasoline burning everything around them down. As his wide emeralds roamed the burning streets, he looked for the two mammals he had seen earlier. He quickly found two bodies laying a few feet further down the streets, the wolf and Jack apparently being hurled away from the explosion, now unconscious. Looking around, he also noticed a lack of Familiars, as the two that had been chasing them were now suddenly gone. Nick swore he felt his body burning, either from the explosion or the pain from the impact, as he forced his body to get up. Grunting in pain he looked over to his side, seeing Judy was already on all fours, not cutting out any better than him as she had a few bruises and scratches as well.

Judy coughed into her paw as she forced her head to stop spinning. She felt horrible after the jump, her body aching terribly and her mind spinning, causing her to almost wretch, but she quickly pulled herself together as she picked herself up onto her trembling knees. _I swear Nick, if we survive this, I'm going to kill you for this!_

Opening her amethyst, she looked into hell on earth as her eyes roamed the burning streets, but none of that was really in her interest as she found the familiar rabbit lying unconscious a few feet away from her. Her mind and body suddenly jumping into action and after a few stumbling steps, she ran towards the unmoving body of her friend before she collapsed to her knees in front of him.

Not daring to touch his body, her wide eyes inspected his body while her paws loomed helplessly over his form, unsure of what to do. Clenching her eyes shut and swallowing the initial shock down, her police training kicked in and she quickly inspected Jack's body for any injuries as she forced her heart and breathing to calm down.

"Everything will be alright.." she mumbled to herself, trying to assure her restless mind and barely taking notice of the fox crouching down beside her. She almost yelped of surprise as she felt a dark furred paw on her shoulder, but her mind quickly calmed down upon seeing her vulpine companion. Nick knelt down beside her, his oddly calm emeralds also inspecting Jack's body as his paws looked for any injuries.

"Calm down, Judy, he's breathing. Everything's fine" he said, his eyes and paws never leaving Jack's body as he continued to check for any abnormalities. Upon hearing her real name for the first time from the usually snarky fox, he immediately got her attention, her heart and mind actually calming down. Something in his calm tone and reassuring look in his warm emeralds told her that everything will in fact be fine. Inhaling deeply, Judy forced her body to relax and her mind to focus on the situation.

Not seeing or feeling any injuries except a few nasty scratches, Nick finished his inspection of Jack's body as he let out a breath of relief. His own body was aching terribly and he was sure Judy was in the same situation, but at least none of them had any major injuries. A sudden pain in his shoulder caused the fox to yip before he spun around, his paw rubbing the sore spot as he regarded the glaring bunny beside him.

"Nicholas Piberius Wilde! Don't. You. Ever. Do something. So stupid. Ever again!"

She punctuated her chiding with a punch on the poor fox's shoulder after every word, genuinely angry at the vulpine for pulling through such a foolish and dangerous plan. Nick tried to defend himself in vain from the oncoming storm of tiny fists as he tried to blubber a response.

"Ouch, Carr- hey! That hurts! Could you please stop punching me?!" Judy finally stopped assaulting him and she sat back on her haunches with an angry huff, her paws on her hips as she continued to glare at him. "Geez, Fluff. Why is it that you always have to straight out assault me when.. I.."

His response faded as he looked into her eyes, any snarky retort fading off. He expected to see anger and her to lash out on him, even her to hate him. But what he did not expect was to see actual concern in her misty amethysts. Puffy cheeks, bloodshot eyes and tears running down her face. The whole package. Nick liked to think of himself as pretty emotionally unaffected by a wide range of things. Never let them see that they got to you. Discrimination and hardships had taught him to not let anyone see that they have somehow affected him. But as the crying bunny in front of him suddenly jumped into him, wrapping him into a surprisingly strong hug as she sobbed into his shoulder, every resolve broke down, as if on instinct he reciprocated with his own gentle hug as he pulled her closer.

As much he enjoyed the little moment, not that he would ever admit it, it only lasted about a few seconds as Judy suddenly pulled away, her ears perked up straight. He would never say it out loud as long as he would live, but he actually missed the short contact as her heavenly soft fur felt wonderful on his coarse one. Wanting to address the weird moment, he decided to speak up.

"Uhm.." he began, but was quickly hushed by a gray furred digit on his lips.

"Do you hear that?" Judy said, her eyes roaming the streets as her ears continued to listen, her demeanor changing from the emotional bunny to the rabbit cop.

Upon her interruption, Nick perked his ears as well, intrigued by what her companion could be hearing, but much to his confusion he couldn't pick up anything. Sighing wearily, he spoke up.

"Listen Carrots, I can't hear anyth-"

"Pshhht!" Again she interrupted him and pressed her finger on his lips, causing the fox to grunt impatiently as he slapped her paw away from his face.

"Could you stop interrupting me and just tell me what your radar dishes are picking up?"

Ignoring his quip Judy continued to listen intently to the sounds of Zootopia. Among the many sounds just as cars driving through the streets or distant mammal chatting, two particular sounds caused her heart rate to spike;

The first ones were police sirens, and the second one was the grunting of a wolf coming to his senses a few feet away.

-o-

The first thing he noticed was how hot it was. Breathing became a difficult task as his lungs refused to inhale the sticky hot air, causing him to choke and cough a few times before he was able to breath properly again. Grunting in pain the wolf rolled onto his side, his body sore and his mind fuzzy.

_What the hell happened?_

Trying to navigate his senses through the haze inside his mind, he remembered pinning down that rabbit, being so close to finally finishing his task before everything around him went awol. Channeling his remaining strength Cypher heaved himself onto his knees, panting slightly as he collected his thoughts. Looking around, his ruby eyes fell upon fire and rubble, the streets around him engulfed in flames. The emitting heat singeing his now dirty fur which used to be pristine arctic white.

Finally coming to his senses, his eyes fell upon the three mammals, causing anger to rise gradually inside of him like the flames around him. Picking up the sword he had dropped a few feet away from him, and finally remembering what had happened, the wolf rose to his full height, sword clutched tightly in his paws as he strode towards the mammals that had caused him so much trouble. But he'll be damned if they get away with it!

"You damn vermins!" he hissed through clenched teeths, gaining the attention of the fox and the rabbit which rose up from their seating position upon his arrival. Cypher was about to snap his fingers as he rose his paw, ready to summon his Familiar and end the lives of them, but he never came to it. Out of the corner of his eye, Cypher realized they weren't alone.

Mammals began to pour out of their houses and apartment buildings, chatter and whispers as well as screaming were erupting from among the crowd. Cypher widened his eyes as he saw a few mammals pulling out their phones and starting to film what was happening, all of their eyes glued to the spectacle in front of them; a giant armed wolf about to pounce on the bunnies and fox, surrounded by fire and chaos. Stopping in his tracks, the wolf froze as he felt all of the eyes focussing on him, and as if the situation wasn't bad enough, his trained hearing picked up the distant sound of police sirens coming closer.

 _This isn't good_ , Cypher thought, swallowing the lump in his throat. This was supposed to be a simple job. Just ambush that rabbit and make it quick. But now this has escalated into something messy, something he would pay dearly for. Mammals were filming him, the police would arrive soon, and he had no doubt that the media was already on their way. He had to think quickly of an escape plan. He needed to get out of here, before they would arrive. Everything was at stake.

Returning his gaze towards his smaller targets, he saw that the fox and the rabbit were also watching the culminating crowd around them with bright hopeful eyes, not paying attention to the wolf. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was plenty for Cypher to take advantage of the opening. Tightening his paw around his sword and ignoring the gawking masses, the wolf silently made his move.

-o-

Never before was Judy so thankful and so terrified at the same time. She was thankful for surviving that stunt, and terrified about Jack's condition. She was thankful Nick was there to comfort her, thankful that the back-up was finally on their way to help them.

But she was beyond terrified upon seeing the giant wolf striding in huge steps towards them. Her heart leaped as her eyes fell upon the glinting weapon his his paws, ready to strike them and she felt herself inching closer to the fox beside her, seeking out his comforting warmth. Much to her surprise she could feel Nick trembling just as much as she was.

 _This is it. This is how we die! At least I won't die alone_ , Judy thought, as she clenched her eyes shut and focussed on the comforting presence of Nick and Jack. She hadn't exactly known them for a long time, but Judy was sure they were the closest thing she had to friends during her time in Zootopia. The thought slightly calmed her nerves, her breath steady as she readied herself for the oncoming slaughter, which never came.

Instead, the sounds of chattering and mumbling reached her ears, which were flat behind her head. Upon hearing the growing sounds of mammals around them, the bunny opened her surprised eyes and looked around the scene. Prey, predators, tenants and bypassers were congregating around them, the flashlights of recording phones flashing up. And much to her relief, the sounds of sirens were growing closer and closer. Soon the police would be here, and they could finally set an end to this whole mess.

But it seemed like the story wasn't over for Judy, as the comforting warmth beside her was suddenly ripped away from her, leaving a cold spot on her fur. Spinning around, her amethyst eyes landed upon the empty spot on the ground where the unconscious form of Jack had been mere seconds ago.

Instead, as the fox and the rabbit looked up with stunned eyes, the limp form of Jack was hanging in the huge paws of the dreaded white wolf, his sword dangerously on the rabbit's throat. Nick and Judy jumped up onto their feets and were about to move onto the wolf, but as said wolf took a step backwards, the paw clutching the knife hard, the duo came to a halt, not daring to trigger any reaction.

Nick swallowed a lump in his throat as he regarded the slowly awakening form of his friend in the foe's paw. Jack's eyelids began to flutter open. He mumbled something incoherent, before he finally came to his senses, noticing the burning world around him and his restrained body, and much to his chagrin, the glinting sword on his throat.

"What.." Jack yelped as he began to thrash in Cypher's paw, the wolf tightening his grip and causing the bunny to halt any movements, not wanting to thrash against the blade. Only now did Jack notice how much his body was hurting, his joints and bones sore, the pulsating of his wounds sending pain to his brain as he clenched his teeth. His mind was spinning and he barely acknowledged the blurry forms of the familiar red fox and gray bunny in front of him, staring at him with wide and fearful eyes. His mind finally connecting the dots and realizing in what kind of situation Jack was in, he remained as still as a statue as he regarded his friends with the same fearful expression.

His mind was screaming at him to do something, to prevent this wolf from hurting his friends.

_"I never said she was dead."_

The wolf's words began to ring inside Jack's mind, reminding him of the most important information he had received this night. His Skye, his wife, his love. She was alive, and he had the chance to rescue her, to bring her home safe and sound. All of this wasn't in vain, and it filled Jack with determination and resolution.

But before he could rescue her, he needed to do something this instant. Seeing he was completely unable to move, or otherwise he would lose his head, Jack's mind was working overtime, looking for any possibility to get out or help his friends. Judging from the size and the strength of the wolf holding him, getting out of his vice grip would be impossible. Looking around, Jack noticed the crowd around them, watching them with curious gazes, some of them even filming. His ears picked up the sounds of police sirens, and just as he expected, several cruisers rounded the corner down the street, coming to a stop behind the crowd as the numerous police officers tried to disperse the crowd and get ahold of the situation. Jack could feel how the wolf suddenly tensed up, his breaths coming out in short intervals.

Realization clicked inside Jack's mind. The wolf was repelled from the attention. His act of grabbing Jack and holding him hostage was a result of pure panic and improvisation, as the officers were barricading themselves behind the car doors, tranquilizers aimed straight at them. They had him cornered, and out of desperation he had decided to figuratively hide behind Jack. As Jack looked up and stared into the nervous and distracted face of the wolf, Jack decided this was the perfect moment for him to do something..

-o-

A deep growl emitted from his throat as Cypher stood among the rubble and burning debris, surrounded by the police, tranquilizer guns aimed at him and ready to put him out. The crowd was filming him and he was sure the whole nation would be seeing this on their televisions soon. Out of sheer desperation and lack of plans, he had decided to take that damned rabbit hostage, and now he was cornered, not seeing any escape route for himself.

He had failed. He had failed a third and the last time. Clenching his teeth, Cypher swallowed heavily, realizing the mishaps he had done. This was unforgivable. This was unacceptable. He wouldn't be able to return to his family, or at least return alive. It was over. He had finally reached the end of his road. And all of this because of this damned…

"Stop struggling!" he yelled into the bunny's ears in his grip, causing the squirming lapine to freeze instantly. Cypher returned his gaze towards the officers, his mind already working overtime as he looked for an escape plan. His plan would mean the ultimate end of his belonging to the Magnolia. It would mean the end of his dream.

But he'll be damned if he would die in such a disrespectful way.

"ZPD! Drop the weapon and the hostage!"

A giant cape buffalo, about two feet taller than himself was standing behind a cruiser, in his hooves a megaphone as he yelled into the device, his voice being carried throughout the neighborhood. Cypher knew this was the Chief of Police, Chief Bogo, and he also knew this was about to get really messy as the white wolf dropped Jack onto the ground, the rabbit landing hard onto the asphalt, before Cypher raised his free paw, all eyes and tranquilizers aimed at him.

-o-

Nick raised an eyebrow as he saw something hitting the ground seconds before Cypher decided to yell into Jack's ears to hold still. Focussing on the object now lying on the ground, his emeralds widened in shock as he realized what Jack had just dropped. His journal.

Somehow Jack must had been able to squirm enough in order to reach into his pocket and drop the journal onto the ground, taking advantage of the slowly panicking and distracted wolf. And he was successful as now the journal was literally lying to his feet unbeknownst to the wolf.

 _Clever bunny_ , Nick thought, chuckling to himself. They had finally managed to corner this wolf, Jack had found the journal and they just had to pick it up now, and the police would be able to put the living daylight out of this criminal. And judging by the way Bogo was staring menacingly at the wolf, Nick almost felt bad for him. Almost.

But his smirk quickly vanished as the wolf did something he didn't expect: he dropped Jack. The wolf had given up his hostage, giving the police every opening to shoot him. _He gives up this easily?_ Nick wondered, but that thought was quickly thrown away, as the wolf raised his paw into a gesture what looked like he was about to snap his finger.

_Oh no.._

Just as Nick expected, the wolf summoned his Familiar out of thin air, causing all mammals, even Bogo, to freeze in their actions as the pitch black beast stared at them with burning red eyes. Hundreds of stunned eyes stared disbelievingly at the phantom as it growled menacingly at the crowd. A sudden scream among the crowd pulled everyone out of their stupor, causing some of the officers to pull out of reflexes the trigger of their dart guns. The tranquilizer darts though bounced harmlessly from the phantom's body, not compromising it in any way as it began to sprint in Judy and Nick's direction.

Nick's heart almost leaped out of his throat as he realized the beast was running towards them, its fangs bared and ready to tear through them. He was about to summon his own Familiar, but restrained himself as he felt the many eyes upon them. Other than Cypher, Nick wasn't so keen on revealing his abilities. Instead, Nick did the only thing he could think of at that moment; he grabbed Judy's paw and made a run for it.

Pulling the surprised rabbit after himself, Nick stumbled across the street, the mammals in the crowd beginning to scream and disperse upon the sight of the "savage" beast. Chaos erupted and the officers that weren't busy trying to shoot the beast were busy controlling the stampede of mammals.

"Crowd control! Get these civilians out of here!" Bogo boomed as he commanded his officers around. Trusting his officers to do their job properly without him, Bogo returned his gaze towards the scene, just in the right moment to see the fox and Hopps stumbling and falling onto the ground, the running beast mere meters behind them. Expecting the worst, the wide eyed cape buffalo shoved his way through the crowd, panic rising inside of him upon the sight of the savage beast pouncing on one of his officers. No matter how much he disliked that rabbit, that didn't mean he wanted to see her dead.

Jumping into action, the cape buffalo channeled his whole strength into one tackle and crashed into the black wolf, hurling it a good distance away from the two smaller mammals, which were staring at him dumbfoundedly, seemingly not able to process what had just happened. Not turning around and furious eyes still locked with the beast, Bogo's voice echoed through the streets.

"Get out of here. Now."

Upon the sight of her boss standing like a fuming mountain in front of her, surrounded by flames and rubble, Judy swore he looked more like a demon than the Chief of Police. Deciding not to get into Bogo's way, Judy quickly scrambled away, a stunned Nick in tow as she pulled him along his paw.

Seeing out of the corner of his eyes that he was alone now on the battlefield, Bogo returned his full attention towards the phantom in front of him, its fur pitch black and eyes burning red, causing a shiver to run down the bovine's spine. He had never seen such a mammal before.

 _What the hell are you?_ Bogo wondered silently, his muscles tensing as he readied himself for the oncoming attack and just as the cape buffalo expected, the beast soon sprinted towards him, fangs bared and claws sheathed. Police training and decades of experience kicking in, the Chief skillfully turned his body as he dodged the jumping beast, his heavy hooves grabbing the slightly smaller mammal on its scruff and torso before hurling it with all of his strength against a nearby building wall. The beast instantly slumped onto the ground, and much to Bogo's confusion it dispersed into thin air.

"Huh," Bogo uttered, having expected a more fierce fight. Suddenly remembering where he was, Bogo spun around to regard the responsible mammal. His furious eyes roamed the burning streets, seeing mammals, police officers, Hopps and that fox.

The wolf and the hare were nowhere to be seen.

Growling in anger, Bogo was about to run after them, before something caught his eye. Intrigued by the object, the buffalo bent down and picked up a worn booklet, fake leather binding and yellow pages.

-o-

"Wow," Nick managed to mumble upon seeing for the first time in his life the Chief of Police in action. If he had learned anything tonight, it was firstly, never again jump from a driving motorcycle and secondly, never mess with the Chief.

Swallowing the lump in his throat he turned his head to regard the bunny beside him.

"Your boss seems charming. No wonder you're such a workaholic," he said flatly, a small smirk on his lips as he watched how the rabbit's ears adorably perked up upon his statement before she turned around to look at him with just as stunned amethysts. She was about to open her mouth to answer, but her eyes suddenly widened, as well as her ears falling limp behind her head as she apparently remembered why they had been here in the first place before all of this mess.

"Jack!" she exclaimed as her panicked eyes roamed the streets, Nick quickly following suit. Soon the rabbit was running around the scene, not seeing the buck causing her to hyperventilate. Anywhere she looked, she couldn't see either the striped buck or the white wolf. They were gone.

Realization hitting her like a train, Judy collapsed onto her knees as she felt tears welling up in her eyes., barely acknowledging the fox stepping beside her. Nick didn't like to show it much, but he understood how Judy felt. Hell, whatever that bunny was feeling, he was sure he felt it ten times harder. He just didn't like to show it. But this time Nick was very close to breaking the mask he wore.

Jack was his best friend, and he had lost him. He was now in the paws of that lunatic wolf, and Nick had failed to rescue him. Nick could feel his chest tightening as uncomfortable memories began to rise from the depths of his mind, memories about loss and vulnerability.

And as the fox and the rabbit sat on the burning streets, surrounded by flames and destruction, clutching onto each other as they tried to find comfort, they had to come to terms that they yet again had lost another friend to the Magnolia.

-o-

While the chaos was erupting down on the street, two mammals had been watching the whole spectacle with vigilant eyes on top of the roof of an apartment building, invisible by the distracted crowd below them, their attention never leaving the white wolf and the striped buck.

"I'm a lil' bit disappointed, ya know?" Baader said, his tone low and condescending, "I've expected more from Cypher. Guess that's my fault for seeing so much in him."

The tiger shrugged as he put his paws inside his pockets, listening to his partner's lazy response.

"Father won't like this. At all," Ensslin replied, her eyes watching how Cypher was able to distract the police by summoning his Familiar and ultimately revealing his abilities and their biggest secret to the whole world to see, before escaping unbeknownst to anyone, the striped buck in tow.

"Cypher has thrown us under the bus to save his own ass," Ensslin continued as she crossed her arms, "and Father won't forgive him that easily."

"Forgive?" Baader snorted as he returned his gaze to the streets below, watching how firefighters and police were trying to control the situation, "You talk like Father would even consider such a thing like forgiveness. Cypher can consider himself lucky if he kills him quickly."

Ensslin didn't retort, but she silently agreed with her partner. Cypher had messed up big time and he would eventually have to pay with his life.

Sighing, the female cheetah stepped back from the roof edge, her partner turning around as she spoke up,

"Let's go. We have a lot to report."


	14. Deal Or No Deal

_"Tomorrow is always another day to make things right."_

_-Lauryn Hill_

_Somewhere in Zootopia_

The moon began its descend towards the horizon and the stars started to fade away from the dark blue sky as the night came slowly but surely to an end. Mammals began to awake from their slumber, while other poor souls which were working the late night shifts fell upon their sheets. Birds sang their songs, the sun crept gradually up the horizon, and for a short yet elusive moment, the usually bustling metropolis was silent.

He loved these moments, when time seemed to stand still during dawn. It was at these times when he was able to truly breath in, to relax his tense muscles, and forget about everything. The fresh air in his lungs and the wonderful serenity was like a cleanse for his soul, as the elder silver fox closed his eyes, relishing the short moments before all hell would be let loose.

"Father, we have returned," a voice echoed through the interior of the room, breaking the silence. Opening his eyelids slightly, the elder fox perked his ears, signalling the mammals behind him that he had acknowledged them. Suddenly the serenity was gone. Back was the bustling and busy metropolis of Zootopia, ridden with crime and corruption. The pew he sat on no longer felt cozy but hard as the oak wood it was made out of, and the church was no longer warm but cold.

The elder fox moved his paw from his lap to the armrest beside him, grasping and feeling the polished wood of the pew as he spoke up,

"You know, mammals always used to say; _One doesn't know what he had, until it is gone_."

Letting the words echoing and reechoing through the room, the fox turned his head to regard his underlings. He had spent the night sitting in this old church, the altar in front of him neatly decorated with sacred ornaments and illuminated dimly with candles, relishing the silence. His ears twitched slightly as he heard one of the mammals behind him swallow.

"Don't be nervous, Baader. I'm not angry," the fox spoke up. Indeed, the tone of the elder vulpine was calm, not showing any anger or wrath.

"I'm just disappointed," he continued, before he chuckled lightly, much to the confusion of the cheetah and the tiger, "I sound like a chiding father, how corny."

His smile quickly fell as he continued to stare blankly at the white walls in front of him, "Baader," the tiger's ears fell flat as he heard his name, "Say, how much do you appreciate your tongue?"

Before the feline could reply, a sudden gust of wind put out the candles as the recently lit room was suddenly enveloped in darkness. The warmth from the rising sun diminished and Baader could feel a shiver running down his spine. His heart was racing and he broke out in cold sweat, trying to keep his composure in front of his boss. Any sound from the birds or the city ceased completely, only the breathing of the anxious tiger were audible. Everything was black.

Ensslin clenched her teeth as she tried her best to remain stoic, her brow slightly furrowing as she regarded her partner out of the corner of her eyes. She knew they had failed their assignment and would have to pay dearly for their failure. Never had she seen the usually talkative and confident tiger so much out of character. He was visibly trembling, his eyes glued to the ground, his breathing erratic. She averted her gaze back towards the ground as she heard Father standing up from his seating position, the soft tapping of his paws on the jet black ground.

"What's wrong, Baader? You're usually so talkative," the elder fox spoke, his still calm voice, sounding like a concerned parent raising all the red flags in Ensslin's head as she tried to hold her position. Instincts were screaming at her to make a run for it, rationality was telling her to stay where she was.

Baader was sure his heart was about to burst through his chest as the elder fox now stood in front of him, not daring to look down at the canine as his eyes stared stoically straight ahead.

"You're worrying me, Baader. Why don't you talk to me?"

The elder fox's tone resembled the one of a concerned parent, calm and yet dripping with sorrow, and Baader was suddenly tempted to open his mouth, just so he could reassure the elder fox that he was alright. That he was still the same talkative and charming tiger. Swallowing the lump in his throat and not being able to bear the deafening silence anymore, the tiger decided to speak up,

"I'm-," Baader's words were quickly cut off and replaced by a muffled scream as the feline collapsed onto his knees, his paws in front of his maw and blood oozing from between his fingers, tears streaming down his face as he struggled to stop the bleeding.

Ensslin clenched her eyes shut, ear flatly on her head as she tried to ban the muffled screaming of her partner from her mind. She wanted nothing more than to just get away from here, but her body was frozen, not daring to aggravate the elder fox any more.

The vulpine on the other paw stood relaxed as always in front of the trembling form of the tiger, paws in his pockets and not having moved a single muscle. His voice was still calm and collected as he spoke up,

"It's a shame, really. I liked our conversations, Baader. But I really hope you've learned your lesson." Turning his head towards the paralyzed cheetah, aside from Baader's whimpering his ears picked up the slightly erratic breathing of her, while she didn't dare to move a single muscle.

Ensslin's eyes remained shut while she tried to calm down her heart. She knew she would be the next to receive her punishment. After literally watching how Baader's tongue was cut off, she couldn't imagine what Father would do to her. And whatever it was, she would rather have her eyes closed when it was happening.

But much to her surprise, nothing happened. Not hearing anything other than the erratic breathing of Baader beside her who had stopped whimpering, her ears couldn't pick up anything. Daring to open her eyes, she was met by the usual interior of the church. The darkness was gone, replaced with the serene atmosphere of the sacred building, sunlight pouring through the stained glass above the altar. Surprised, the feline let her gaze roam the room, seeing the elder fox was back at his place at the front pew, staring blankly at the wall in front of him. Her gaze fell upon the bent down form of her partner before she rushed to his side and helping the tiger picking himself up.

Not understanding the situation, she looked back at the unmoving form of the elder fox. She had expected to be punished, to be maimed just like her partner, but nothing had happened. Inspecting her body while she held onto Baader, she couldn't see any wounds or anything out of place.

"Don't worry, En. I haven't done anything to you yet," the fox spoke, his gaze locked in front of him. Ensslin's heart began to calm down as she realized she wouldn't be maimed today. But she knew this wouldn't be over yet.

"Consider this a warning. I want you two to lay low for a while. The ZPD will be looking for you and we can't risk another failure now, can we?"

Not expecting the outcome of this meeting, Ensslin swallowed heavily before she uttered a quiet "Yes, Father," and lead the injured tiger towards the door. Without another word the two felines left the church, the wooden double doors falling shut and the sound echoing through the room before fading into the serene silence the elder fox enjoyed so much.

He sighed wearily as he closed his eyelids, thinking about what he should do next. His underlings seem too incompetent to finish this job. It was supposed to be simple; get rid off the loose end and make him pay for what he had done. What he didn't expect was the involvement of a certain red fox. A fox who was able to summon a Familiar and therefore bears the blood of a Magnolia. And as if that wasn't enough, that coward of a wolf ran off with that rabbit, disappearing off the radar.

Opening his eyelids and revealing a pair of white orbs, the elder silver fox mumbled to himself as he stared blankly at the floor. His underlings were clearly not capable of something as simple as getting rid off some mammals. Much to his dismay he didn't see any other option than to take matters into his own paws,

"If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself."

-o-

In all of the years Wolford had been on the force, he had interrogated numerous criminals. The majority of them were stubborn and prideful, thinking they could outsmart an officer by remaining completely silent and therefore be untouchable. No matter what a police officer would do, as long as one would remain silent, nothing could be done. And Wolford had always managed to get the truth one way or the other out of them.

Until now.

Here he stood, in the dark room on the other side of the interrogation room B3, only the one-way mirror in front of him keeping his partner from strangling the fox, who was sitting cool as a cucumber at the table as he stared lazily at the walls. It was infuriating.

They had interrogated him hours after hours until the sun was way up, wasting almost the whole morning listening to the snarky replies and smart assed quips from that fox. While Wolford had quite the patience considering he was a senior officer with decades of experience, his partner on the other paw wasn't as thick skinned. He swore he could hear Fangmeyer grinding her teeth as she stared at the fox from the other side of the mirror, her brows furrowed and a growl on her lips.

"Four hours. _Four. Hours_! This damned fox hasn't told us anything worthwhile while we're practically running on fumes!" the tigress ranted as she crossed her arms. Her slightly shorter partner chuckled lightly as he watched his angry partner. Wolford had known her for quite a while now, and knowing her short temper he also knew that the best thing to do was wait out until she would cool down. So while Fangmeyer continued to rant about the fox, Wolford thought about what they knew so far.

As it turned out, the fox in the other room was no other than the missing fox, Nicholas P. Wilde, tailor and the owner of the severed finger, apparent by the stump on his paw. It was still a mystery for Wolford as to how his finger landed in Hopps' car and why he was at the scene together with her.

Arriving at the scene, all he had seen was Hopps and that fox huddled up to one another, while a giant white wolf wielding a sword and holding a striped rabbit hostage was about to attack them. All the while they were literally engulfed by flames and destruction. The situation was surreal and if Wolford hadn't already seen some messed up things during his career, he wouldn't have been able to work properly that night.

It didn't take a genius to deduct that this giant wolf on scene was the same from the Fox-Finger-Case who had destroyed the apartment of that fox. Apparently they seemed to have an old score to settle, and judging by the smug looking fox sitting in that room, Wolford could only guess who drew the short straw.

But what didn't make sense to Wolford was the involvement of Hopps. Why the hell was she attacked by that tiger? Why was she on scene when everything apparently went awol? What were her connections to that wolf and Wilde? Did Hopps have any skeletons in her closet they should know about?

Before Wolford could muse any more, the door suddenly opened as a huge cape buffalo entered the room, his gruff demeanor well known throughout the precinct.

"Chief Bogo," Wolford greeted his superior as the two officers stood at attention while the buffalo just nodded curtly.

"Wolford, Fangmeyer. Status report," he gruffly said as he turned towards the window, his gaze falling upon the fox. He immediately frowned upon seeing the relaxed demeanor of a supposedly interrogated suspect. He continued to glare at him through the glass while he listened to the report of his officers.

"The suspect is one Nicholas P. Wilde, a tailor from Downtown. He is the same missing fox from the Fox-Finger-Case," Bogo raised a brow upon hearing that information, "We have been interrogating him the whole morning, but he hasn't said anything useful yet."

"What about Hopps?" the buffalo asked as he turned around to regard his officers. This time Fangmeyer spoke up,

"We were about to interrogate her next after him," she practically spat the last word before she sighed lightly, "But I don't think we're going to get anything from him, so I suppose we can go over to her."

Bogo only nodded as he dismissed his officers, the wolf and the tigress already leaving to interrogate the bunny. As soon as Bogo was alone, he reached into his pocket before pulling out a small booklet. Opening the booklet he flipped through some of the pages. Of course, while his officers were busy interrogating that fox, he had been reading through the book. To say he was confused would be an understatement.

Nothing inside this book made sense to him, the content bordering on a fantasy novel and one had to be insane to understand this. Deciding he would ask the fox about it later, Bogo went to leave the room. He had a bunny to question.

-o-

Judy felt horrible. Never in her life had she felt this exhausted and terrible before. Everything was sore, her mind was running on fumes, and her stomach was churning from everything that had happened. Concern and worry for Nick and Jack plagued her mind. She hadn't slept a single second since she was brought to the precinct a couple hours ago, waiting to be interrogated. She knew they wanted to question Nick first, having decided not to sleep as she thought she would be next very soon. But who could've known that it would last several hours? What the heck was that fox telling them?

Whatever it was, Judy was sure it wasn't helpful. Judging by what she already knew from the witty fox, he probably just threw around snarky comments and bad jokes until the officers would eventually break. Sighing wearily and resting her head on the cool metal table, Judy decided to rest her eyes for a while as she waited to be questioned.

She almost fell into a slumber as the door was suddenly thrown open, causing her to jerk awake as she lifted her weary head from the table. Upon seeing the bulky form of her boss sitting across from her, the bunny straightened herself before she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"I hope we didn't let you wait for too long," Bogo greeted her as he laid down a file upon the table before flipping through the content. Judy gazed nervously at the file before she shook her head. The buffalo only nodded curtly.

"Alright Hopps," he began as he closed the file in front of him as he looked into the bunny's anxious eyes, "I want you to tell me in detail what the hell is happening in my city. Start from the beginning."

His voice was low and demanding, not leaving any room for objections. From what Bogo had learned, he knew Hopps was a very honest and diligent mammal. And judging by the way how her nose was twitching while she squirmed inside her chair, Bogo also knew she would tell him everything she knew. And that she did.

After considering her options, Judy couldn't find another way out of this situation. This was the end of secrets, she couldn't keep anything from Bogo, especially not now under his scrutinizing gaze, not after what happened yesterday. Deciding this was the best option, Judy told her boss everything she knew, beginning from the night they received the call from Jack until the fight against the white wolf the night before, not leaving out any details like Familiars and the Magnolia.

While Judy reported at length what she knew, Wolford and Fangmeyer were listening intently from the observation room, skeptic expressions on their faces.

"Spirits? Magic? I don't understand how Bogo can stay completely serious during this obvious.. _joke_ of a story," Fangmeyer snorted as she watched the bunny. "She's insane. Either that or someone had told her to say that humbug. Maybe it was that fox."

Wolford frowned upon her comment, but decided not to speak up. While he didn't agree with his partner's accusation towards the fox, he couldn't deny how unrealistic this whole story sounded. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes he wouldn't have believed it either.

"I believe her," he spoke up, causing the tigress to spin around, looking wide eyed and disbelievingly at him.

"How can you believe such a fairytale? She's obviously leading us on," Fangmeyer objected. Wolford just shook his head, his gaze still glued to the conversation between Hopps and Bogo.

"You weren't there. We've all seen it. That… thing was no mammal like you and me. Whatever it was, it was something sinister, not from this world. Believe me, if you had seen it you couldn't deny it either," he turned around to look at the stunned tigress, "I believe Hopps. I mean look at her," he waved a paw at the anxious rabbit on the other side, "Does she look like she is lying? _Leading us on_?"

Fangmeyer followed his paw, watching the nervous bunny while she recounted her story. Her ears were limp, her eyes dull and her body slumped. She was tired and exhausted. But most importantly, she looked honest. Not a single fur on her body, not a single movement or twitch showed the tigress any sign of lying or dishonesty. She was really telling the truth.

"Fine," Fangmeyer huffed, as she watched how Bogo was apparently done, packing up and moving towards the door, "I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt." Her voice softened as she continued to watch the bunny, "It still sounds ridiculous, but if you believe her, then I will too."

Wolford smiled upon her answer as his hazel eyes regarded his partner. Stepping closer to her, the wolf hip bumped the tigress, causing the feline to stumble slightly, a surprised look on her face before she glared at the smirking wolf. Seeing the amused sparkle in his eyes and his toothy grin, the tigress couldn't help but feel a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Hiding her smile, she did the only appropriate thing she could think of;

She socked him on his shoulder.

-o-

As soon as Bogo closed the door to Hopps' room, the buffalo let out a weary sigh through his nostrils while rubbing the bridge of his broad snout.

 _This is going to be a long day_ , he tiredly thought. Just as he was about to enter the observation room to discuss matters with his two senior officers, something inside his pocket alerted him. Feeling the vibrations, the buffalo halted in order to pull his phone out. Upon seeing the familiar number of the mayor, his mood immediately soured.

After suppressing a groan, Bogo answered the call as he held the phone to his ear,

"Chief Bogo here, how can I help you today mayor?"

_"Bogo, I hope you have a damn good explanation for what's going on in my city! I'm receiving hundreds of calls saying there is some kind of monster hunting innocent prey! So what is this about?"_

Bogo did his best to keep his voice calm upon hearing the agitated voice of the old maned wolf. Mayor Chryson had been in office for quite a while now, almost three terms and having done a great job at representing both prey and predator voices throughout the city. Being actually quite popular, the maned wolf won every election by a landslide. He loved the city, and the city loved him.

Knowing the mayor only wanted the best for his city, Bogo tried to appease the canine as he replied to the agitated mayor,

"Mayor, I do have an explanation, you just won't like it," Bogo stated flatly, before hearing a weary sigh from the canine.

_"I don't like a lot of things, Bogo. That doesn't mean it's any less relevant. So spit it out already."_

Seeing no other option, Bogo told the mayor everything he had just heard from Hopps, making sure not to let out any details while at the same time let it not appear too dramatic. His job was to report, not to sensationalize. After finishing his report, the line went silent for a few moments. Bogo assumed the mayor was trying to digest the cascade of information. He absolutely understood. For an outsider this whole story was just ridiculous and seemed like a huge joke.

Good thing the mayor had a good sense of humour.

 _"What are we going to do about this?"_ Chryson calmly stated, surprising Bogo slightly by his cool demeanor after reporting such a story.

"Mayor, you don't-"

_"Bogo, I'm not an idiot. When a literal tsunami of calls report of a phantom attacking innocent civilians, and then the Chief of police reports the same, then it's only natural for me to tend towards believing this whole story, as much as it sounds like a fairytale."_

Bogo was actually surprised how well the mayor took everything in and felt honored to be trusted on such a scale that the mayor would believe him just by his words.

 _"Besides, there were a lot of videos on FurTube, and lemme tell ya, some of them are quite graphic,"_ the mayor morbidly chuckled, causing the buffalo to cringe as he replied,

"To get back to your question mayor, I'm planning on assigning my best senior officers to the case. I think they're best suited for thi-"

_"I want that bunny on the case."_

Bogo's reply died on his tongue upon hearing the mayor's interruption. Wide hazel eyes stared blankly at the floor as the buffalo tried to digest what he had just heard.

"E-Excuse me, mayor? I seem to have problems with my hearing," Bogo stated slowly, praying to any higher power that he had misheard the mayor. Apparently there was no God.

_"You heard me right, Bogo. She's the first rabbit cop, right? Judging from your report she seems to have quite the intel. I want her on that case, Bogo. You know what? Get that fox too! They both seem too important to be left out."_

The world seemed to be spinning and frozen at the same time as Bogo heard the mayor, his boss ramble about how he should assign the case to Hopps and deputize that fox.

"May- Mayor… Sir, no- we can't-" Bogo spluttered into the phone as the mayor continued,

_"Yes, this settles it! Glad we agreed on this. Now do your work, Bogo! This case is not going to solve itself!"_

And with that the line went dead, leaving a completely flabbergasted buffalo standing paralyzed in the hallway. Slowly reality settled in and a huge migraine started to settle upon his head like a tomahawk pounding on it, causing him to groan wearily.

He didn't like the idea at all. On the contrary, he thought this was a horrible plan. But since the mayor is technically his superior, after the maned wolf had made a decision, there was nothing else he could do.

Hoping this won't end in a fiasco, the buffalo turned towards the door to the observation room. As his hoof touched the doorknob to open it, a high pitched yelp sounded from the other side, causing Bogo to freeze momentarily before he entered the room.

His eyes fell upon his senior officers, Fangmeyer who stood in the middle of the room facing the one-way mirror, her arms crossed and a satisfied smirk on her face, while Wolford stood beside her, rubbing his shoulder.

Not actually wanting to know what had transpired between them, the buffalo chose to ignore it and proceeded to inform his officers about the mayor's decision.

"The mayor just called me regarding this case," Bogo began, causing both officers to turn their attention to him. Bogo sighed before he stated flatly,

"He wants Hopps on the case and deputize Wilde."

Fangmeyer's mouth fell open as she stared wide eyed at her superior. Wolford managed to maintain his composure as he just crossed his eyes while frowning slightly, though he didn't like the idea very much either.

"He can't do this! Hopps is a rookie! She has barely any field experience for such a case," Fangmeyer reasoned, her paw waving towards the weary bunny in the other room.

"Actually," Bogo retorted as he regarded the feline, "he can. He is the mayor, and technically our boss. I don't like this either, Fangmeyer, " he tried to appease the agitated tigress calmly, "but since both of them seem to have the most intel and experience regarding this case, I don't see much of a choice in this matter. You both are still going to be the leading officers on this case, Hopps and Wilde are merely going to be assets."

Seeing the logic in his explanation, Fangmeyer remained silent as she mulled over the decision. She looked over to her partner, silently asking for his opinion. Upon noticing the gaze on him, Wolford spoke up calmly,

"I think we should give them a chance," he continued as he saw the disbelief in Fangmeyer's eyes, "Don't get me wrong. I think sending a rookie out there is a terrible idea. But Bogo is right. They do have the most knowledge and intel about this case. And who knows, maybe there's more than they let appear."

Seeing his partner calm down, Wolford returned his gaze to his superior as he answered confidently,

"Get them on the case."

-o-

This wasn't good. Nervous emeralds roamed the blankly polished surface of the metal table he sat at, as his bristled fur swished to and fro. His stomach was churning from uncomfortable thoughts as his mind was filled with worries and concern.

Of course Nick didn't show it. On the outside, the smirking and confident fox was cool as a cucumber. Lazy half lidded eyes, slightly tilted ears and a lazy smile on his lips. He was the personification of relaxed. At least so he seemed. On the inside a war raged between guilt and self doubt.

 _What kind of friend am I_ , first losing Skye and now Jack, Nick thought bitterly while his mask remained unbroken in place, the calm fox waiting for the officers to return.

Why wasn't he able to save Jack? Why couldn't they find Skye? He was right there! He had the blood of a Magnolia, he had magic powers for Pete's sake! Why was everything going wrong?

Nick subconsciously clenched his fists as doubtful thoughts filled his mind. Ever since the day Fanny passed away the fox had problems dealing with loss. Nick had never come to terms with his mother's early passing, refused to understand why the world had taken away such a good and loving person. And now the rest of his family was gone as well.

 _What have I done to deserve this?_ Nick thought bitterly as he tried to find any events in his past that could've led to this moment. What had he done that karma paid him back in such a manner?

 _Is it because I'm a Magnolia?_ Nick knew all members of the family have done terrible things, they were terrible mammals who killed and murdered. So who was to say he wasn't one either? Maybe he hadn't killed anyone yet, but what if…

His train of thought was fortunately interrupted by the opening door as Wolford and Fangmeyer entered the room. Internally breathing out in relief, the fox put on his mask and widened his lazy smile, straightening himself as he opened his mouth, depressing thoughts shoved into the back of his mind,

"I knew you guys would return sooner or later. I mean, who can resist this rogue fox charm? Am I right, kitty cat?" Nick quipped as he winked at Fangmeyer.

The tigress shot daggers at the fox as she sat down across from him, her partner taking the chair beside her. While the wolf regarded Nick with a more neutral expression, Nick could tell by his bristled fur that he wasn't amused by his antics.

"Shut it, Wilde, before I make you," Fangmeyer growled, causing the fox to smirk wider.

"That sounds interesting. I actually like it a little rough," the fox retorted as he leaned back on his chair, causing the tigress to jump from her chair.

"YOU-" she growled, but before she could sock the infuriating fox on his jaw, a gray furred paw stopped her advances, causing her to regard her lupine partner.

"Calm down, Fang," Wolford calmly ordered. Seeing the reassurance in his hazel eyes, Fangmeyer took a deep breath before sitting down while continuing to glare at the fox. Nick wasn't done though.

"I see, apparently Wolfy here wears the pants," the fox stated amusedly. Much to his disappointment, Wolford didn't react. Instead the wolf calmly asked him,

"How much do you know about the Magnolia?"

"Cutting right to the case, huh? You're no fun, Wolfy," Nick chuckled.

"Just answer the question, Wilde. How much do you know about them?" Wolford continued.

"Well, I know they are beautiful flowers. Did you know they symbolize purity and dignity?" Nick asked innocently, causing the tigress again to growl. Growing impatient from the fox's antics, Wolford sighed wearily while rubbing the bridge of his snout.

"Why are you doing this, Wilde? Is it because you think you'll get in trouble for answering? Because we can assure you, you're not in trouble. We just want your help," Wolford stated as he regarded the fox.

"Oh, that's how it is," Nick said, his voice dripping with amusement, "But no. I just think it's funny to see steam coming out of kitty cat's ears here."

Nick pointed at Fangmeyer before he broke out in laughter, the tigress throwing him death stares as she tried her best not to rip off that fox's head.

Wolford just slumped in his chair as he saw no point in trying to convince that infuriating fox to help them. Mayor's decision or not, they couldn't force him to help. Sighing the wolf was about to stand up from the table, as the laughing from the fox stopped before he spoke up,

"Alright, let me get this straight. The ZPD decides to finally take matters into their own paws, seeing how Zootopia is being terrorized. So naturally they send half of a precinct to the scene to arrest one culprit only to find out, whoopsie: they're useless against them and lose the hostage. So of course they try to find the hostage and get more leads. Double whoopsie, they know nothing. And whoopsie number three-sie, the only help they can get now is from a conniving fox and a bunny they have pegged as a secretary."

Nick dropped his smirk as he regarded the glaring tigress and wolf with a serious expression,

"So yes, I do know very much about the Magnolia and I would be glad to help you, under one condition. We're going to do this my way, with Carrots and me in charge, and nothing will be questioned."

"No way! We're not some kind of-" Fangmeyer began angrily, but was cut off by Wolford's paw on her shoulder.

"Deal," Wolford simply stated, causing the tigress to widen her eyes in disbelief before she spoke up,

"You can't be serious!"

"I'm dead serious, Fang. He's the only help we're gonna get, and if these are the conditions, so be it," he calmly retorted before he regarded the smirking fox with a serious expression,

"Listen, Wilde. We don't like you, you don't like us. But if you're truly willing to help us, then I'm ready to give you the benefit of the doubt and agree to your conditions."

Hearing this, Nick's smirk widened before he extended a paw towards the wolf who accepted it, ultimately sealing a deal between the two parties and forming a team in order to save his friends and set and end to this whole mess.

"We have a deal, Wolfie."


	15. Dark Rooms

_"If I told you that a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it?"_

_-Kendrick Lamar, Poetic Justice_

Cold fluorescent lights illuminated the cramped space that was one of the interrogation rooms of the ZPD precinct one, their buzzing being one of the few sounds audible to the small rabbit sitting at the metal table. Her shoulders were slumped and her half lidded eyes were proof for how tired she really was. Muffled sounds of other officers passing by the door echoed from the outside, causing her ears to twitch while they hung limply from her head, not having the energy to keep them perked. Judy was truly all run down.

Shifting her gaze from the blank table she sat at, amethyst eyes fell upon the glass wall opposite to her. Knowing that Bogo was most likely watching her right now through the one way glass while discussing with the other officers what to do with her, the urge to look away came over her, causing her to look back at the table.

She had done it. She had broken the one and only promise she had agreed on to keep. She had promised Nick and Jack to keep things quiet, not to say anything. And here she was, having spilled out everything she knew to the chief of police, and ultimately having broken the promise.

 _I hope they understand_ , Judy thought somberly as she thought about the consequences of her actions. Of course she knew she had no choice in the matter. Obstruction of justice and possible jail time being the actual consequence if she had kept everything silent. If Bogo demanded a clear answer, she had to tell the truth, no matter how much her conscience was telling her to keep the promise. But, crime or not, she still hoped the fox and the buck would forgive her and understand that she had to do what had to be done.

Telling Bogo not only about the Magnolia, but also about the actual existence of magic and supernatural powers while still appearing sane wasn't easy for Judy. She had to word everything very carefully so she wouldn't sound like a lunatic. In the end it still sounded ridiculous, but much to her surprise, Bogo took everything well and left the room telling her he would be right back.

That was half an hour ago. Maybe. Not having a watch and not seeing a clock inside the room, Judy could only guess the time as she shifted in her seat, the uncomfortable piece of furniture pressing against her sore bones.

The bunny clenched her paws as she tried to reassure herself that she had done the right thing. Jack and Skye were abducted and missing, and the only way she could help them was to tell Bogo the truth. The ZPD had the necessary resources to find and rescue them. She was sure Nick and Jack would come to the same realization. But, all of this was, of course, inside her small gray head.

Exhaling wearily, the bunny gazed towards the door, wondering how much longer she would have to rust away in this stale room. Her question was answered as the metal doors suddenly swung open, causing her to sit straight up, now fully alert.

Her heart leapt as a familiar red fox sauntered nonchalantly into the room, paws in his pockets and a lazy smile on his smug face. "Guess who just broke out of jail."

"Nick!" she exclaimed as a smile spread across her face. Judy jumped from her chair, practically running towards the fox and wrapping him up in a bone crushing hug, catching the vulpine by surprise.

"Whoa, hey. Steady, Carrots," he chuckled as he awkwardly tapped her shoulder, not knowing how to react to the sudden display of affection, "Heh, look who's all happy to see this humble fox."

"Shut up you dumb fox. I'm just happy you're fine," she mumbled into his shirt, causing Nick to freeze. He wasn't used to this kind of affection, resulting in having a flustered fox not knowing how to react, a slight blush creeping into his ears, well aware of the three pairs of eyes watching them from the door. He thanked any higher power up there for his red fur.

"Heh. Umm, Carrots, as much as I enjoy this... moment, we do have visitors right now," he spoke up, pointing at the police officers behind them.

Upon hearing this, Judy immediately loosened her hug and jumped from the fox away, staring bug eyed at the three mammal standing behind Nick. Smiling sheepishly, Judy regarded Bogo, Fangmeyer and Wolford who entered the room as well, the wolf closing the door behind him.

Nick straightened out his shirt before he returned his gaze to the flustered bunny, the confident smirk returning to his face as he regained his composure. "Well, _Officer Hopps_ , looks like we have a case on our paws."

Amethyst eyes stared at the vulpine, confused. "What?"

"You heard me right, Carrots," Nick continued as he pointed a clawed digit at himself and then at her, "you and me are officially going to save Jack and Skye."

The reaction from the bunny was exactly what Nick expected: a beaming smile and an ecstatic bunny. The amused fox watched how the bunny squealed excitedly from the prospect of being the lead investigators in her first real case.

"Then what are we waiting for! We have to rescue them!"

The rabbit was about to sprint out of the room before she was halted by three mammals blocking the door.

"Not so fast, Hopps. Honestly, if it was up to me, I wouldn't let either of you out of here," Bogo spoke up as he crossed his huge arms and glared at both the fox and the bunny who listened intently with perked ears.

"Unfortunately," he sighed, "it is not up to me, but the mayor. And he wants the both of you on this case. BUT," he boomed as soon as he saw the smile on Judy's face, "Not without the help of Officer Fangmeyer and Officer Wolford, who will be at your sides at all times. They will report to me the tiniest details of the process and what you two are doing, so don't. Mess. This. Up.

"I think you will need this," he handed Judy the booklet he had found on the scene yesterday, receiving a confused look from her, while the fox stared at it, shellshocked. "I can't say I understand any of this, but I have the feeling that you're going to need it. Wolford and Fangmeyer will give you further information. Dismissed."

With that the buffalo huffed loudly before leaving the interrogation room in a few, quick strides. As the door swung closed, the four remaining mammals exchanged looks, before the wolf decided to speak up.

"Alright, you heard him. We will be a team on this case, whether you like it or not." He sent Nick a meaningful glare, the fox replying with a smirk. "Wilde here convinced us to appoint you Hopps, as the lead investigator with him as informant, since you two have the most intel and experience. We will still be the senior officers and will take responsibility for your actions, but you are the one who tells us what to do. So, what's the plan?"

He regarded Judy with a questioning gaze, as if he was a teacher testing his students. The bunny stood ramrod straight as her mind ran through all the procedures of what to do. Nick watched her as they waited for her answer, silently taking the journal from her paws. He almost forgot about it, remembering how Jack had managed to drop in while the wolf had been distracted. If anything, this journal will help them plenty. But knowing this was Judy's first case, Nick didn't want to barge in and take the credit. This was her time to shine, so he waited patiently, watching how her pink nose twitched adorably as she was thinking.

_Alright Judy, this is your time! I can't mess this up! What leads do we have?_

"Okay, so far we know that Magnolia and the white wolf are responsible for the kidnapping of Jack and Skye Savage. If we could find the location of either, it would lead us to Jack and Skye. Unfortunately," she regarded Wolford and Fangmeyer, "we have no leads whatsoever on their location or base of operation."

After a moment of silence, the tigress spoke up, her voice slightly agitated, "That's it? We appointed you lead investigators because of your intel, and you have literally no leads?"

"Well," Judy replied meekly, succumbing to the agitated tigress, "we do know the inner workings of the Magnolia."

Fangmeyer just groaned as she rubbed her snout and mumbled under her breath, "I can't believe this.."

"What about this booklet? How can this help?" Wolford spoke up, ignoring his agitated partner as he pointed at the journal in Nick's paw.

"As of now," Nick retorted, "this won't be any help at all." He continued as he saw the disappointed expressions of the officers, "But, it will be of great use as soon as we find the Magnolia, and I know exactly how we are going to find them."

The fox smirked confidently at the wolf and tigress, who were waiting for his input. But much to their agitation the fox just continued to smirk, not saying anything for a while, causing Fangmeyer to speak up rather loudly,

"Well?! A penny for your thoughts?"

"Glad you asked, kitty cat," he quipped as he turned around to Judy, the tigress fuming as she was just about to beat the fox to a red pulp before Wolford held her back, "Well, Carrots and I are going to visit a good friend of mine who might be able to help us. Unfortunately," he returned his half lidded gaze to the two officers, "My friend isn't particularly fond of authoritative figures, so I'm afraid we're going to have to do this alone. I'm really sorry."

Nick's voice was practically dripping with sarcasm and Judy had to restrain herself from chuckling at how the fox was bravely regarding the raging feline who was three times bigger than him. He had guts, that much she had to give him.

"Out of the question. We agreed that we would accompany you on-" Wolford spoke up before he was yet again interrupted by Nick.

"If I remember correctly," he began, tapping with his finger on his chin as he pretended to think, "We agreed on us being in charge here. And that nothing will be questioned. That was the deal, wasn't it?"

Wolford could only huff angrily at the infuriating fox as he crossed his arms. Seeing as he was losing this battle, Wolford tried again,

"Alright. You two will visit this.. friend of yours. What should we do in the meantime?"

"Check the street cameras," Judy spoke up, causing all eyes to focus on her, "Wherever this wolf had gone with Jack, one of the CCTVs must have picked it up. Follow them as far we can with the cameras. It should at least give us a direction, maybe even their exact location."

"That… makes sense," Fangmeyer spoke up, seeing the logic in her suggestion and chiding herself for not thinking of it in the first place. Sighing, Wolford pulled the tigress along her paw and spoke over his shoulder as he was leaving the room,

"We're on it. Keep us up to date and don't hesitate to call for backup. Be careful, you two."

With that the two left the room, leaving the bunny and fox alone.

"So," Judy spoke up as she turned to Nick, "who's this friend of yours?"

-o-

_This is bad._

There were few times in his life when Cypher truly messed up. Now was one of them. The wolf hadn't slept a single second since he had arrived at the abandoned apartment complex on the outskirts of Sahara Square. The scorching heat from the slowly rising morning sun and the artificial heat from the district felt like hell to the wolf with his long white fur.

Boarded windows and peeled-off paint were the first thing one would notice from the dilapidated two story building in the deserted neighborhood. Very few mammals would walk through this area, no matter what time of the day. Not because it was dangerous or anything. Quite on the contrary, this part of town was just deserted because it didn't have anything worthwhile to offer. All the businesses closed down because of crime, crime reached a record low after everything valuable moved away, and the only mammals who remained were either homeless or criminals like Cypher.

It was the perfect hiding spot.

So here he sat on a wooden crate he had found inside the empty apartment, staring through the slits of the boarded windows onto the empty streets, the only light being the sun. Bright sun beams illuminated the otherwise dark room, dust and dirt tainting every surface one could see. But none of that mattered. If this place would hide him and keep him alive, then it was pure luxury.

Cypher huffed exhaustively as he turned away from the window and strode into the middle of the room, crossing his arms and closing his ruby eyes as he thought about his next move.

It had been bad enough that he had failed his task twice in a row. Normally his boss would have killed or maimed him on the spot. But Cypher knew he held a special position inside the ranks of the family. Due to his hard work and dedication he held many privileges, the biggest one being the fondness of the boss, granting him a second chance.

But no matter how high his position inside the ranks was, failing utterly a third time meant execution by his boss' paws, no exception. By his failure he was automatically banned from the family, not being able to return alive. The family was now officially on the hunt and after him. It was over for the wolf.

But Cypher wouldn't be the wolf he was today if he would give up this easily. No, he had to stay alive, no matter what. He had to keep his promise.

Cypher's train of thought was interrupted by a cough from the corner of the room. Opening his eyes, he turned his head and looked at the small mammal sitting on the ground in the back of the empty room. The bunny's paws and feet were bound, his clothes were ripped and blood stained his shirt. He was an absolute mess, yet his icy blue eyes burned with anger and hatred as he regarded the wolf.

The two remained silent for a few moments, neither wanting to speak up. An uncomfortable tension laid upon the room, both mammals refusing to break eye contact.

Cypher honestly didn't know why he had taken this rabbit with him. Maybe it was sheer panic and improvisation, or maybe it was the security of having a hostage to hide behind. He didn't know, and right now it didn't matter. Because now he was here, glaring at him with blood lust boiling in his blue eyes.

Eventually the wolf was the one who broke the eye contact as he turned around and began to walk circles through the empty room, thinking intensely about his options. Jack watched how the white wolf walked to and fro, ears and tail twitching occasionally as his ruby eyes darted around. It didn't take a detective to know that the wolf was growing uneasy, worry and concern plaguing his mind, as Jack finally decided to speak up and interrupt the wolf's train of thought,

"What are you going to do now? Kill me?"

Stopping in his tracks, Cypher turned around and regarded the defiant buck. His voice was lacking any fear, instead it sounded rather neutral, as if asking about the outcome of his life was an everyday thing for the buck.

Cypher answered in just as a neutral tone as he turned away from the bunny, again moving towards the window and sitting down onto the crate, "I don't have reason to kill you anymore, so for now I won't do anything."

He received a snort as a reply, "That's it? You literally torment me and my friends for days, and now you just stop? Just like that?"

Cypher didn't answer, instead he continued to watch the streets through the wooden boards on the window, his eyes not really focussing on anything as his mind wandered.

When no answer came, the rabbit to continue. "So that's it? You obviously fucked this up, and now you hide here like a fucking coward, taking me hostage as if I was some kind of mammalian shield that will save your sorry ass?"

"Don't give me a reason to kill you, rabbit," Cypher growled, his eyes still locked onto the street.

"Go ahead! Be my guest and finish your job!" Jack spat, growing angrier by the second as he raised his voice, "Stop being a coward and do something!"

Before Jack knew what happened, a white furred paw wrapped around his neck, causing the buck to gasp for air as he stared defiantly into the raging ruby eyes of the wolf who was sitting by the window moments ago. Now he was crouching above Jack, ire and wrath written on his face as he growled menacingly,

"Now listen here, you little shit," Cypher spoke up, his voice dangerously low, "You know what I am going to do? Yes, I fucked up big time, and eventually I'm going to pay the price for it. But until that time comes, I still have a promise to keep. And I can't do that when I'm dead. So unless you want them to find us, you better keep that tiny mouth of yours shut. Otherwise I have no other choice but to cut off your tongue in order to keep you quiet. Are we clear?"

With that the wolf released the struggling rabbit, turning around and walking back to the crate by the window. Jack gasped for air and coughed heavily as his lungs were finally able to inhale again, drinking up oxygen as if it was water.

When Jack was sure his heart was calm again, he again looked towards the wolf sitting by the window. Somehow, he had to get out of here, but he could barely move with his limbs bound and under the vigilant eyes of that wolf Jack doubted he would be able to do anything other than talk. So he did just that.

"You said you made a promise. What kind of promise?"

"None of your business," was the curt answer as the wolf kept his gaze out the window, his paws absentmindedly caressing the sheath of his sword lying on his lap.

Not satisfied with the answer, Jack continued, "So, if you're not going to kill me, what are you doing now? Why aren't you going back to the Magnolia?"

Upon mentioning the family, Cypher stopped his caressing and turned around to regard the curious rabbit. The rabbit's eyes were still glaring angrily, but most of the fire was now replaced by genuine curiosity. Seeing the rabbit wouldn't stop talking until he would give him something, Cypher decided to throw him a bone.

"I have failed my task. If I would to return to the Magnolia, it would mean certain death. For both of us. As of now, I am no longer a Magnolia. Any task I may have been assigned to is now irrelevant, hence killing you is not necessary."

He turned back to his caressing and watching as he continued to talk, his voice slightly softening, surprising the buck, "The only thing I can do now, is run away and hide or return and accept my punishment. And I can't do that."

Jack was truly surprised. The cold blooded wolf's demeanor had changed, even if it was barely noticeable. His slumped shoulders, the nostalgic expression on his face as remembered, the soft undertone as he talked. The dangerous wolf from before seemed tired.

Jack, seeing the vulnerable wolf, realized he wouldn't get another chance like this one. He took the opportunity to probe further in the hope of finding out more about his mysterious captor.

"Why can't you? No offence, but honestly, you seem like the type of mammal to follow orders down to a T. An ass kisser who would do anything if your boss ordered it. How come you refuse to do that now?"

Cypher growled upon hearing the rabbit, ruby eyes sending Jack a glare, but he didn't budge from his position,

"I am an honorable mammal. I follow orders because that is expected of me," he again looked back out the window, "But everyone has his own principles to go by. Even ones such as I."

His gaze softened as he whispered something he thought was barely audible, but Jack's keen hearing picked it up loud and clear, "I promised her."

Eyes widening slightly, Jack decided to dodge that one. Apparently this promise was a sore topic and judging from what he had just heard, it was too dangerous to tread these kinds of waters. He needed to find out more about that wolf first, before he could ask about who he was talking about.

"What kind of promise did you make?"

The wolf remained silent for a while, and Jack almost expected the wolf to lash out at him again for asking such a question. Surprisingly the wolf remained calm, apparently lost in thought, before he finally spoke up, his voice quiet yet not lacking any fire as his eyes burned with determination,

"I promised I would grow stronger. I promised that one day, I would be the strongest Magnolia," he turned around to regard Jack, his eyes saying more than thousands words could, hundreds of emotions swirling around at the same time in those ruby eyes, "So that I could one day kill my boss and become the leader."

Blue eyes widened as the canine continued, "But I'm too weak! Hell, I failed to kill you, what kind of leader would fail killing a damn rabbit?"

Cypher snorted as he stood up, putting his sword aside as he strode towards Jack until he was a mere foot away, looming over him like a white furred tower, "I am incapable of being a leader of the Magnolia, and that can't be. I need to get stronger, but…"

He huffed agitatedly. Cypher knew exactly why he was too weak right now to defeat his boss. Ever since that day the library and the archive burned down because of a traitor decades ago, all records of spells and incantations were lost. Everything was gone, causing a crisis within the Magnolia, Cypher's boss being the only mammal who had knowledge about the content of the lost scriptures. Ultimately he was the strongest Magnolia and no one would be able to defeat that monster unless due to a wonder somehow the content of the scriptures would reappear.

Suddenly something in Cypher's mind stirred as he thought about the scriptures. An elusive thought was dropping somewhere inside his head, like a leaf in autumn, falling from its branch and drifting towards the floor. Ruby eyes shifted to the rabbit sitting in front of him, watching him how he shifted uncomfortably on the ground as he refused to keep eye contact. He was hiding something. But what?

Memories of the night before appeared, causing Cypher to voice one question out loud,

"What were you doing in that tailor shop, Savage?"

Upon the question, the rabbit's squirming increased as he tried desperately to seem unmoved by the wolf's questioning. But Cypher saw through it no problem. Cypher remembered as he was standing in the shadows of the shop, watching the bunny searching for something and apparently finding it, a small booklet. He didn't think much of it at that time, thinking it was some kind of phone book, but he had a feeling it was something way more grave than that. The wolf crouched down so his snout was mere inches from the rabbit's, his ruby eyes watching him scrutinizingly as he voiced his question once more,

"What is in that booklet you found?"

The rabbit shot him an icy glare upon his question as his body suddenly grew rigid. His squirming stopped entirely, only the fiery glare remained as he stared into those ruby eyes defiantly. The both of them remained silent for a moment until the rabbit broke the silence,

"Nothing."

"Really?," Cypher asked, his voice dripping of disbelief, "You walked all the way to this tailor shop, that is coincidentally owned by your fox friend just to pick up a supposedly meaningless book? I ask you again Savage, what is in that book?"

Instead of answering, Jack again remained silent and kept glaring at the wolf. Huffing angrily and knowing he wouldn't get far by questioning this defiant rabbit unless he would torture him, Cypher straightened himself up as he remained eye contact. Even though he might have looked like it, Cypher wasn't actually cruel. He never tortured his targets, if he was assigned to kill someone, he would do it quickly and painlessly. He didn't find pleasure in causing harm, so torture wasn't an option. Instead Cypher decided to strike a deal.

Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out a small metal object and held in front of the rabbit, whose blue eyes widened upon seeing the glinting metal of the familiar wedding band.

"How about a deal, Savage?," Cypher spoke up as he held the ring in front of the rabbit's stunned face, "If you tell me what's in that book, I will tell you where your beloved wife is."

Jack's expression morphed from stunned to thoughtful. Frowning slightly and shifting his gaze to his lap, seriously considering the deal. If he was to tell that wolf the content of the book, he would know about all the dangerous and possibly deadly spells. On the other paw, Jack would finally know where Skye is and his chances of rescuing her would increase tenfold. Besides, what would the knowledge about the content of the book do, if he wasn't in the possession of it? Jack realized, he was the draw in this deal since he held the knowledge the wolf desperately needed, so why not getting more out of the offer?

"How about this," Jack spoke up, "I tell you what's in that journal, but you have to promise that you will tell me the exact location of Skye, and that you will never harm me or my friends ever again. Deal?"

Cypher thought about the deal as he crouched down to be eye level with the buck. Jack watched his facial expressions as he was apparently considering the deal, frowning slightly as his jaw muscles tensed occasionally. Jack almost thought he would refuse the deal until he watched how the wolf's expression morphed into something he believed would never see in a lifetime; he grinned.

"Deal."

-o-

"I'm amazed the Chief would give you another cruiser so soon after you wrecked the other one."

Nick and Judy were now sitting inside a new police cruiser, parked inside the ZPD carpool as they were just about to leave to meet this _friend_ of Nick. Closing the door as Judy made herself as comfortable as possible in the oversized seat, the bunny began to put on her seatbelt as she replied to her vulpine friend beside her,

"First of, I didn't wreck it. That wolf did." She sent him a glare that didn't quite reach her eyes as Nick just grinned at her, "And secondly, I'm already paying it from my monthly paycheck, so the least he can do is to give me a car to drive around, right?"

"Wrong, Carrots," Nick replied as he started to rummage through the glove compartment of the cruiser, "The least he could do was to let you walk or ride a bike. Buffalo butt giving you a cruiser after that fustercluck actually shows us how much he trusts you."

"You really think so?" she asked as the fox apparently found what he was looking for. Pulling out a pair of aviators, Nick quickly put the onto his snout before he turned to grin at the bunny,

"Nope. He still thinks you're a liability and a pain in his huge butt. But since he is technically the mayor's little slave, he has no other choice but to give you the necessary resources for this case. So, congrats Officer Fluff."

Judy visibly deflated as her high hopes of having a boss that trusted her were literally crushed. Limp ears and slumped shoulder, the bunny turned back to stare into her lap before she meekly voiced an "Oh."

"Don't worry, Carrots," Nick again to speak up, his voice slightly softening as he watched how bunny beside him fidge inside her seat, causing her ears to perk slightly as she looked at him.

"He might be right that you're a huge pain in the tail," he chuckled lightly as the bunny sent him a glare, before he lowered his shades to look at her putting as much sincerity into his voice as possible, "But you're no liability, Judy. You're as much a help as these dum-dums and for what it's worth, I think you're the only one who would actually be able to save Jack and Skye."

Upon hearing this a smile tugged on her lips as Judy tried to find any sarcasm in his shining emeralds. And she failed. His unfamiliar genuineness towards her surprised and warmed her heart at the same time. Again mixed feelings churned inside of her, and she didn't know if it was the lack of sleep or the actual security she found inside the cruiser together with Nick, but the words were already leaving her mouth before she knew it,

"Nick, what do you _really_ think of me?"

The genuine smile fell from his face and was replaced by confusion as the fox stared with a raised brow at the bunny. She wasn't looking at him as her worrisome expression was facing her lap, her paws fiddling around on her uniform.

"What do you mean?" Nick asked her as he received no further elaboration, causing the rabbit to look at him with a strange expression,

"I heard what you were saying to Jack the other day."

Nick's frowned at her input and first he didn't know what she was talking about. Searching through his conversations with Jack, he tried to find anything incriminating he could have said. Emeralds widened slightly as he understood.

"Carrots, I di-"

"Don't 'Carrots' me, Nick," Judy interrupted him, her voice slightly raised as she turned to fully face him, "What are you taking me for? Just some kind of easy girl you think you can wrap around your little finger? You think telling me all these nice things all of a sudden will get you into my _pants_? Because guess what, I'm not just some token bunny! So what is this about Nicholas Wilde?"

Overcoming his initial shock the fox shoved the gray furred digit away which Judy had been pointing at his chest during her rant, his frown deepening,

"Now listen here, Fluff," he spat, "you barge into my life, destroy my property and I am forced to save your sorry tail _twice_ , I agreed on helping you on this case _I got for you_ , mind you, and you have the nerve to assume I have some perverted ulterior motives? You think I'm that low of a mammal? Whatever I have said to Jack was just a joke-"

"You don't joke about stuff like this! You don't _joke_ about sleeping with a mammal you have just met!"

She was heaved a sigh after her rant, breathing heavily as she looked at the stunned fox. Tears were welling up in her misty eyes and she did her best to repress them. She didn't want to appear more vulnerable in front of Nick as she already was. She lowered her voice as she continued,

"I'm forever grateful for what you've done for me, and I will continue helping you finding Jack and Skye. But first I need to know what you _really_ meant."

"Why is it so important to you what I have said? I told you it was just a joke to get a rise out of Jack, so why do you need to hear an explanation?" Nick asked her calmly back. It confused him why she saw the necessity for him to explain himself for something mundane as that. Sure, it was a crude joke and maybe it was terribly inappropriate for him to say, but why was it so important?

Judy honestly didn't know why it was so grave for her to hear it from the fox in front of her. Maybe it was the need to clear up the mixed feelings about him, maybe it was her lack of sleep, maybe she needed to confirm or deny her assumptions to finally get a clear picture about the ambivalent fox. Whatever it was, she knew a clear answer would give her the peace of mind she so desperately needed.

"Just tell me. Please," Judy practically begged as her amethysts connected with emeralds. As Nick gazed into her vibrant pools of violet, he thought about his words carefully as it seemed to be a delicate subject. Realizing his words would ultimately determine the teamwork and relationship between them, Nick chose his words carefully,

"Listen Judy, whatever I have said to Jack, I didn't mean a thing of it, alright? I admit it was a terrible joke. It was rude and inappropriate and I apologize for that, but shouldn't you have realized by now that I would never do such a thing to you?"

Trying to sound as genuine as he felt Nick placed a paw on his chest as he maintained eye contact. Watching how his words seemed to calm the agitated bunny down, he smiled as he continued,

"After all, friends don't do such things, right?"

Even though completely new feelings began to churn inside of her after his explanation, Judy couldn't help but to smile as she wiped away her misty tears. That was exactly what she needed. Judging by how Nick behaved, she knew she would never be able to fully figure out Nick, but this was a good step in the right direction. If they weren't friends before, they certainly were now, Judy was sure of it.

"Right," Judy sniffled as she turned back looking at her thighs.

"Hey Carrots?"

"Yeah?"

"We're good, right?" Hearing his question Judy shifted her gaze from her lap to the fox beside her. He wasn't looking at her, shades on his snout and paws fiddling on his shirt. It was strange to see the usually so confident and snarky fox in such a vulnerable manner. Deciding not to probe into his behavior, she reached over and touched his arm gently, causing the fox to tense up as he turned to look at the smiling bunny.

"Of course we are. Don't worry Slick, you won't get rid off me that easily," she quipped as she turned back to look straight ahead, starting the engine and driving out of the carpool. As she left the precinct's premises and focussed on driving, she failed to notice the fox looking at her in a strange manner until they were on the road.

Swallowing the lump in his throat and straightening the aviators on his snout, Nick forced himself to look away from the bunny. He didn't know what was happening, but hearing what she had said caused his heart to flutter and panic to rise inside of him at the same time. It was strange. He had only met this bunny two days ago as she had broken down his door and assaulted him. And now he was sitting in a police cruiser, chasing down a giant wolf that had abducted his family with this energetic bunny beside him. Nick had to admit, in the beginning he wasn't exactly fond of her. But something about her just wouldn't leave his mind.

That's how it came that Nick caught himself occasionally glancing at her from the corner of his eyes, watching how she drove them onto the highway. Her soft gray fur sparkling in the bright midday sun, her adorable pink nose, her beaming smile and her beau-

 _Nope! Not going there_. Nick had to pull at his mental leash from these thoughts as he tried to look straight ahead. Distracted from how these kind of ideas could just pop up, he almost didn't hear the bunny beside him,

"So, where does your friend live, Slick?" she spoke up, her eyes glued to the road. Pulling him out of his thoughts, the fox continued to stare out the window as he answered, refusing to look in her direction and trying to sound as nonchalant as possible,

"Tundratown."

"Alright, does your friend has a name?" she asked further, intrigued by this so called friend of Nick. The way he seemed to be evading a clear answer raised all of the red flags inside of her head. Something told her this friend wasn't an ordinary pal he had met in college. And as Nick answered her question in his familiar quipping manner, she wasn't so sure she wanted to find out who this friend was,

"You might have already heard from him. After all, he's quite a _Big_ shot."


	16. The Devil

_MEPHISTO_

_"I am the spirit that negates._

_And rightly so, for all that comes to be_

_Deserves to perish wretchedly;_

_'Twere nothing would begin._

_Thus everything that that your terms, sin,_

_Destruction, evil represent-_

_That is my proper element."_

_-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust Part One_

_Unknown location and time_

Time stood still. Nothing moved. Nothing breathed.

Nothing lived.

It felt like she was floating in a warm mass, swimming with the current of blackness towards the void. Her limbs and her body felt as if they were unaffected by gravity, her mind was light as a feather and she began to actually relish in the feeling. It was so serene. So calm. It felt wonderful.

If only she could move. She tried to lift her arms, her legs, anything. But as soon as she tensed her muscles her body screamed at her. Pain shot through her brain, causing her to halt her movements and freeze. Her body suddenly felt stiff as a stick as if the warm mass had turned into cement. Every movement hurt, her sore joints and bones telling her to stop. And so she did.

Halting her movements she forced her body to calm down. The pain slowly ebbed away and her mind began to focus on the situation. Time and dimension were returning to her, empirical senses awakening from their slumber and she began to feel the world around her.

The mass from earlier turned into cool silk and it didn't take her long to realize she was laying on a mattress of some sorts. Other than the material of the bedsheets, she also realized how comfy it was. The room temperature was just right, it was calm and no noise broke the silence. The mattress was extremely soft and cushioned. She would have actually enjoyed the moment if there wasn't the fact that her body hurt like hell.

As she slowly awoke her movements were met with resistance, causing her to flutter her heavy eyelids open. A quiet groan escaped her lips as the young vixen again tried to sit up. Upon raising her upper body slightly an excruciating pain threatened to split her skull apart, causing her to raise her paw towards her head just to be halted by something attached to her wrist.

Blue eyes slowly focussed on her surroundings and glancing down, her confused expression shifted to shock as she realized she was chained to the railing of the bed. Her body now on alert, she tried to get rid off the chains only to realize that her other arm was restrained as well. Panic spread out through her body like a disease as she struggled to breath properly, her heart racing and eyes frantically darting around the dark room she was in.

This wasn't right. Why was she here? _Where_ was she?

Thousand questions raced through the mess of her mind as the arctic vixen tried to make sense of the situation. As hard she tried, she couldn't remember anything from before. Everything was a blur as if she was hiking through a thick fog. Memories returned in incoherent pieces, nothing made sense. She remembered leaving from work. She remembered being happy. Maybe she had a really good day, she couldn't tell.

She hissed as the pain inside her head increased.

 _Damn. Who would've thought that thinking would hurt like hell_ , she thought. Pulling herself together she again tried to pick up any pieces of memory inside her mind. She remembered she was about to go home to her husband, Jack.

_Jack.._

Memories about her beloved buck returned and she suddenly felt like her world was caving in.

 _He is probably worrying himself to death!_ , she thought, her already panicked mind now running a mile per second as the vixen tried to calm her heart down. Taking a few steadying breaths, she began to analyze the situation.

_Alright, I'm good. I'm fine. I'm alive and that's what matters, right? Everything hurts like shit, but at least I'm alive. But what the hell happened.._

A piece of memory suddenly returned like a strike of lightning, a pair of red glowing orbs flashing through her mind. She remembered. She had seen darkness and shadows. And among the darkness sat a fire, a menacingly glowering fire. She remembered reaching out to the fire. She remembered the flames engulfing her before the darkness had swallowed her up.

It didn't make sense to her. Nothing did. An uneasy feeling churned inside her stomach as she again looked around the room she was in. Thankfully, her predatory ancestry allowed Skye to recognize some of the objects around her due to her night vision.

The bed she was laying on was fairly big, a queen sized bed and fox sized. Adjacent to her was a large wooden desk and an office chair, behind it several shelved filled to the brim with books and other office materials. Aside from the bed in the corner it looked like a normal office.

Looking around the room, Skye also noticed there weren't any windows or lights, except the light shining through a small slit on the underside of the door coming from outside.

But none of that was really her concern. The only thing Skye wanted to do this moment was get the hell out of here. She struggled in vain against her restraints, she tried to kick the railing from its hinges and break free, but every muscle in her body seemed like on fire. She wasn't sure how long she had been out but she knew it hadn't been enough. She felt beyond tired and not in shape in order to escape.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she suddenly heard faint footsteps from outside. Freezing her movements and holding her breath, her wide blue eyes gazed onto the floor towards the small slit of light pouring into the room. She watched as a shadow loomed just behind that door before the doorknob began to rattle.

Out of sheer panic and not knowing what else to do, the vixen threw herself flat on the bed, not daring to move any muscle and forcing herself to breath calmly, pretending to be asleep.

Her ears picked up the sound of the wooden door opening with a loud squeak, breaking the silence. Judging by the footsteps of the mammal entering the room she assumed it had to be a smaller mammal, about her size. Her heart was beating rapidly and increased as she heard the door being shut with a silent click.

She was no longer alone.

Much to her confusion Skye could see through her closed eyelids that the mammal had not turned on the lights. Remembering there wasn't any windows and lights, the mammal was in fact walking around in the dark. She wondered if they were able to see her in the dark and she was about to open her eyes to peek at the mammal, only to hold her breath as the mammal suddenly spoke up,

"I know you're awake. I can hear your heart racing," they said calmly, amusement apparent in their tone.

Judging from the voice, the mammal had to be male. His voice was soft and low. Despite the panic rising inside her body and her trembling limbs, she had to admit that the mammal's voice was quite calming. She had expected to hear a growling, a voice that would freeze the blood in her veins, instead the mammal sounded.. friendly.

No matter what the mammal just had said, Skye remained still as a rock, not daring to move. He heart rate increased as she realized the mammal had stepped closer to her. She could hear his faint breathing beside her. Skye couldn't help but to tremble, her breathing hitching as she felt the mammal's paw inching closer to her face until she felt his rough paw pads stroking her cheek delicately.

Not being able to hold out any longer, Skye jerked up and away from the mammal, wide blue eyes filled with dread staring at the blank face of a silver fox standing beside the bed.

"No need to be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you," he spoke up, his voice smooth as the silk she was laying on and she was almost tempted to believe him. Almost.

Scooting backwards until she sat upright against the headboard, her arms still restrained, her eyes focussed on the fox standing at the bedside. She noticed he wasn't looking at her, instead he was staring blankly at the bedsheets in front of him. Squinting her eyes and looking closer, she realized his eyes were pure white. Along with the complete lack of light in the room, it finally made sense to her. He was blind.

Breathing heavily, the vixen swallowed the lump in her throat as she regarded the male fox, trying to keep her voice from trembling,

"What the hell is going on? Where am I?"

The silver fox didn't answer right away. Instead he turned around and strode towards his desk before taking a seat in his chair.

"It is not of importance of where you are. The only thing you need to know as of now is that you are safe, that is if you behave."

The fox began to shuffle through some papers on his desk, his fingers gliding on them as he was reading the braille. Mesmerized by the smooth movement of his paws on the paper and the blank eyes staring at seemingly nothing in particular, Skye shook her head before she spoke up, her voice now more firm as she managed to calm herself down,

"You're not going to kill me, are you?"

Much to her surprise and the uncomfortable feeling in her guts the silver fox began to chuckle lightly upon her question, causing her to frown in a confused manner.

"I already told you, I'm not going to hurt you. Yet," he said after his laughing died down as he continued to read, his words cryptic and confusing the poor vixen,

"No, you're too important. _I still need you_. Now be a good girl and go back to sleep, will you?"

And as Skye watched the silver fox going about his work and reading his papers, his words began to repeat themselves inside her mind like a broken record. No matter how many times she thought about his cryptic message, she couldn't figure out what he meant, but whatever it was...

..it wasn't good.

-o-

Having a headache was the understatement of the year.

It was impossible for him to think of another time when his head had hurt as much as right now, and Bogo had an immaculate memory. The old buffalo sat in his dim lit office, the only light being the sunbeams creeping through the slits of the blinds and the turned on TV perpendicular to his desk mounted on the wall.

Massaging his broad snout and trying not to punch a hole into his wall, the buffalo took a few calming breaths before he focussed back on the current news channel and the two news anchors.

The pretty snow leopard, Fabienne Growley was speaking as Bogo listened,

"Several witnesses are reporting about a 'mass hysteria' after a leakage of a video footage depicting what seems to be a 'demon' or a 'spirit', as the internet calls it. Experts are ruling out the possibility that the video might be fake."

"As you can see," Peter Moosebridge continued as a small screen beside him appeared depicting the mentioned video, causing Bogo to clench his teeth in anger, "The 'spirit' was about to attack several civilians and police officers before the ZPD Chief of Police Bogo prevented a disaster. As of yet Chief Bogo hasn't issued a statement regarding the video and the citizens of Zootopia are calling for a public speech."

"In other new-"

Shutting the TV off, Bogo groaned from exhaustion as he thought about how he would have to give a statement sooner or later, and he honestly didn't know what he was supposed to say. Tell them the truth? It would grant him a free place in Cliffside Asylum, that he was sure of.

So he had no other choice than to either lie to Zootopia or keep it quiet as long as he can. If it would have been up to Bogo, he would rather have kept it quiet.

Unfortunately, it was never up to Bogo as the telephone suddenly rang. It didn't require a rocket scientist to guess who was calling, and the headache increased tenfold as the Chief accepted the call, a tired "Chief Bogo here," escaping his lips.

 _"Bogo!"_ Mayor Chryson yelled into the device, causing Bogo to jerk away from his phone as the mayor continued to blare,

_"Zootopia is about to descend into chaos if we're not going to do something very soon! The videos on Furbook and FurTube are spreading like a wildfire and so is the panic among the citizens. I want you to give a statement tomorrow first thing in the morning."_

"Mayor, I can't possibly give a statement and sound sane at the same time. You know very well how crazy thing whole thing sounds," Bogo replied.

_"You know what else is crazy? The whole damn city calling me up and asking ridiculous questions I can't answer, that's crazy! Now Bogo, I don't want you to tell them the truth. That would be stupid anyways, I mean look at this mess."_

"So I'm supposed to lie?", Bogo asked accusingly, the feeling of lying to the citizens he swore to protect not sitting right with him.

_"Just a little white lie to calm the nerves of the masses."_

"Mayor, it's more than a _white lie_ when I'm supposed to lie to a whole city! What if someone finds out the truth? The credibility of the police force would be at stake!" Bogo tried to retort, but as always the maned wolf wasn't having any of it.

_"I am aware of that fact and I'm willing to risk that. After all, I'm very confident that your officers will solve this case in no time, so no reason to worry, right?"_

-o-

"Who is Mr. Big?"

Judy and Nick were now driving through the white landscape of Tundratown, snow and ice dancing in the freezing air to and fro as the cruiser rushed through the streets. There weren't many cars on the road as the extreme weather conditions made it rather inconvenient for any vehicles to drive safely, unless one owned all-terrain tires just like the ZPD did.

"Seriously Carrots?", Nick asked surprised, paw on his chest to emphasize his shock, "You've been a cop for how long now? Months? Years? And you've never heard of the biggest crime boss of Zootopia?"

Judy harrumphed as she answered the fox, sending him a quick glare before she focussed back on the traffic, "If you hadn't noticed before, the only thing I've did since my graduation was desk work. My field experience is literally nonexistent."

"That's a poor excuse, Fluff. You've had plenty of time to read him up, I mean he is the biggest known crime boss in Zootopia. I'm sure you have read about him some time," Nick chuckled, causing Judy to frown.

"Oh I'm so very sorry my knowledge about underground crime bosses isn't as extensive as it is supposed to be, Slick," she replied sarcastically as the cruiser rounded another corner before she sped down the extended and empty road.

"Just saying. And really? _Slick_? Is that the best name you could think of?" Nick snorted, a smirk on his face as he regarded the bunny who looked squarely at him as she answered,

"And how are your dumb nicknames for me any better? At least mi-"

"Woah, Carrots! Watch the road!"

Spinning around just in time to swerve the cruiser back onto the road and barely preventing it from crashing into a tree, the two mammals screamed as Judy tried her best to maintain control over the cruiser on the slippery roads. Hackles raised and eyes wide, Nick held onto the door and the seat for his dear life as the cruiser continued to swerve dangerously on the icy road before it came to a screeching halt.

Gasping for air and clutching the steering wheel until her knuckles were white, Judy was still feeling the adrenaline rushing through her veins as her heart threatened to burst out her chest. Slowly turning around, the fox and bunny stared at each other with wide eyes before Nick decided to speak up, still gasping for air,

"Note to myself; Fluff is not able to talk and chew gum at the same time."

After regaining their composure and continuing to drive _slowly_ , they eventually arrived the gates to the Big mansion safe and sound, much to the relief of one certain fox.

Said fox opened the door before the cruiser even came to a halt, Judy parking the car while Nick swung the door open and dove out of the vehicle onto the snowy boardwalk,

"Thank the Gods, we survived."

Judy just harrumphed as she followed Nick after leaving the cruiser, the snow knee high and making it all the harder for the smaller mammal to move.

"Shut up, dumb fox. That should teach you a lesson not to distract me when I'm driving."

Nick just chuckled as he followed the bunny up the walkway towards the huge metal gate. The metals bars in the middle of the respective gates formed a large twirly "B", the unmistakable symbol of the Big family.

Staring beyond the gates and discovering the huge mansion-like building on top of the snowy hill and at the end of the pathway, Judy swallowed as she turned around to regard the fox,

"So how do we get in? If this Mr. Big is such a dangerous mammal, I doubt he would just let us in."

-o-

_They just let us in!_

It had surprised her to no end as the fox beside her had just introduced himself to the polar bears outside as if they were long time friends, granting them access to the mansion without further ado. It raised a lot of red flags and questions, but caution and wariness caused the bunny to remain silent for the time being. She didn't want to ask wrong questions while being surrounded by a mafia family.

Entering the mansion and escaping the cold, Judy shook the few snowflakes from her fur as she relished in the warmth of the building. After they got used to the sudden temperature change, a massive and sharply dressed polar bear proceeded to lead them down the dimly lit hallway. Apart from the bordeaux carpet and tapestry, the golden trimmed furniture and frames of paintings on the walls, the dimmed light from the golden chandeliers which sparkled like dull stars among the darkness of the ceiling, Judy also noticed how homely the interior was. Among the pageantry and gaudiness she noticed many family pictures, depicting polar bears and arctic shrews.

 _Weird to have rodents as servants_ , Judy thought as her gaze wandered from one picture to another, her feet carrying her on auto pilot as she admired the architectural beauty. As she was busy having her own little tour, she failed to notice the amused look on a certain fox's face as he watched how her ears were seemingly flapping up and down and how her amethyst eyes lighted up whenever discovering something new or noticeable. It was as if Nick was watching a push puppet dropping and rising and he had to try his hardest not to laugh out loud.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're absolutely adorable?" Nick asked her with a smirk, causing the bunny to jerk as she turned to him. A frown was what he received before a tiny fist connected with his shoulder.

"Ouch! What was that for? It was a genuine compliment, and I didn't even use the c-word!"

"You thought it. I can tell," she retorted. Judy crossed her arms and sped up slightly so she would walk in front of the fox, infuriated by his behavior. Rubbing the sore spot on his arm he couldn't help but to grin as he followed the bunny with his emeralds.

Absentmindedly as they walked down the long hallway, he proceeded to look at the bunny more closely. Her gray fur took a warm earthy tone as she walked in the dim light, appearing all the more soft, causing the fox to wonder how it would feel. He also noticed how her black tipped ears were slightly swaying as she walked. Slowly his eyes trailed down her body, taking notice of her slim yet curvy body, accentuated by her smugly fitted bodysuit.

Trailing further down his eyes were then completely mesmerized as he watched how her incredibly fluffy looking tail bobbed up and down as she walked, his stunned emeralds following the movement like a snake dancing to the melody of the flute, completely enchanted by her swaying hips…

He was so distracted by the beautiful bunny in front of him, he almost didn't hear what she had said, causing her to turn around and looking over her shoulder up at him questioningly. Shaking himself out of his stupor and kicking himself mentally for staring at her in such an inappropriate manner, the fox took a few calming breath before he spoke up, trying his best to keep his voice steady,

"I'm sorry, Fluff. I was thinking about some stuff, what were you saying again?"

Raising an eyebrow the bunny slowed her pace until she was walking next to him, noticing how tense he suddenly was. "What kind of stuff?" she asked suspiciously.

"You know, fox stuff," Nick diverted his eyes, putting on his mask; half lidded eyes and laid back smirk.

Noticing how strange her vulpine friend was behaving she was about to voice up her concern before they abruptly stopped in front of a large wooden double door.

The polar bear wordlessly opened the doors wide, revealing a large and empty office and letting the two smaller mammals in before he closed them again, leaving Nick and Judy alone to wait anxiously for the notorious crime boss. At least Judy was. Nick was tense because of completely different reasons.

They didn't have to wait long as the doors from the other side of the room suddenly opened and a giant polar bear dressed in a black tracksuit entered. Judy's eyes widened as she watched how the bear stomped his way towards the large wooden desk in the middle of the room, before he seated himself, both paws clasped on top of the desk as he regarded the smaller mammals with a blank face. The bunny was sure that this bear was the largest polar bear she had ever seen and suddenly she wasn't so sure anymore if coming here was such a good idea.

Leaning closer to Nick without breaking eye contact with the massive bear, she whispered in a hushed tone,

"Is this Mr. Big?"

Upon hearing a silent chuckle, the bunny averted her gaze to the fox, frowning in a confused manner and wondering what he found so funny,

"You're really clueless, are you?" he chuckled as he looked at her with sparkling emeralds, "Well, I really don't want to spoil the surprise, so just watch."

Harrumphing, Judy turned back to look at the polar bear as he suddenly opened up his clasped paws, revealing an arctic shrew sitting on a miniature office chair much to her surprise.

"Nicky, my boy. How are you doing?"

The comically shrill voice and the extremely bushy eyebrows as the shrew spoke up raised numerous questions inside Judy's gray head, and her confusion grew as Nick greeted the tiny mammal,

"Mr. Big, it is so good to see you," Nick greeted, a wide grin on his face as he stepped forward towards the desk, kissing the tiny ring on the shrew's tiny paws as he held it up to Nick, Judy's jaw dropping as she watched the exchange with flummoxed expression.

_That is Mr. Big?!_

-o-

20 years. He had waited two decades, twenty excruciatingly painful years. And now Cypher had finally found his redemption. He had worked his ass off, he had to bear unimaginable pain, he had to lose so much. And now he had found what he was looking for.

Wide ruby eyes were staring disbelievingly at the striped rabbit as Cypher sat crossed legged on the floor of the abandoned apartment complex. His mind was racing with all the information and ideas he had just heard, and it was more than he had ever imagined.

While Cypher was visibly in his own world, his pupils darting wildly around, Jack was still sitting restrained on the floor with his back on the wall and uneasiness written on his face. He had just spent the last few minutes explaining to the wolf what he knew about the content of the journal in turn of absolute security from the dangerous assassin. But no matter how much he would gain from this deal, it didn't sit right with Jack to spill out such crucial information to an enemy. Was he even an enemy if he had promised to leave them alone? After all, didn't mammals use to say, _'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'_?

Shaking these thoughts out of his mind, Jack glared at the still absentminded wolf sitting mere inches in front of him. He mentally kicked himself for even considering to trust this guy. This wolf had spent the last few days literally hunting him and his friends, he was the reason his Skye was missing in the first place, and now he had done the possibly worst mistake ever by telling him important information!

"Why did I do that?", Jack quietly groaned to himself as he slammed his head lightly on the wall behind him, pulling the white wolf from his thoughts as the usual gruff demeanor returned to his face.

"So you're actually telling me that this journal consists all kinds of spells? Even the forbidden ones?"

Not answering, Jack instead decided to just glare at the wolf.

"I'll take that as a 'Yes'," Cypher grunted as he began to pull himself up, raising himself to his full height and looming over the restrained bunny.

Reality finally settling in, Cypher began to think about his next step. His initial plan was to train as a Magnolia and learn as much as he can until he would be strong enough to take over the family, but since he wasn't exactly a member anymore he was forced to ditch that plan. But now with the possibility of learning all the spells from just this journal Cypher actually saw a chance in achieving his goal without being a Magnolia. This was an incredible progress, and he was so close.

All he needed now, was to actually get the journal.

Pulling himself out of his musings he turned back to the rabbit,

"Where is it?"

Instead of an answer he received a scoff from Jack, "You don't really expect me to tell you that, right? The deal was me giving you the content of the journal, not the actual journey. Now it's your turn. Where is Skye?"

Cypher frowned upon not receiving the answer he needed. Crossing his arms he maintained eye contact with the glaring bunny before he growled,

"She is at the headquarters of the Magnolia. Now, what is the exact location of the journal?"

"Ha! Don't give me this bullcrap! I want an address. Coordinates. Anything more than just that! The deal was the exact location."

Jack watched as the wolf actually fell silent, his frown intensifying and Jack feared for a moment he would choke him again. Instead, much to Jack's surprise, Cypher knelt down in front of Jack as he regarded the buck,

"Alright, how about this. I will _personally_ take you to her, if you give me the journal. That way both of us get what we want, deal?"

Averting his gaze, Jack considered the deal and mulled about the pros and cons if he would agree. On the one paw, he would get to the exact location of the Magnolia and he would be able to save Skye. On the other paw, he would have to give the wolf the journal, which would equal to giving a terrorist a missile.

A fleeting idea of cheating came up inside Jack's mind; first getting to the location and saving Skye and never actually giving him the journal. Jack quickly shook this idea away. There was no way he could outhustle this wolf. He was sure if he would ever try to cheat him, it wouldn't end merrily.

But before Jack could agree on this deal, he had to know some things first,

"Why are you doing this?"

Upon receiving nothing but a questioning look from the white wolf, Jack elaborated further,

"You have already explained to me at length what you're going to do with the journal, but before I give you anything I need to know your motives. Why are you doing this? What had happened to you that caused you to be like this?"

Genuine curiosity sparkled in Jack's blue eyes as he regarded the white wolf. He watched as the frown and the harsh demeanor of him softened. And as he spoke, his voice was low and coarse, his ruby eyes seemingly not staring at Jack anymore but rather looking back on yesteryear,

"Her name was Ivy."

-o-

_18 years ago_

_A soft breeze blew through the dark forest and between the trees, the seemingly black leaves of the oaks and beeches dancing in the wind and filling the air with pleasant white noise. The white crescent moon shone its white light upon the treetops and undergrowth, illuminating a small pathway for the wolf to tread through. Fireflies and other varieties of bugs were buzzing through the warm summer air and Cypher couldn't help but to smile._

_But it wasn't the beauty of nature that caused the young wolf's heart to race as he paced through the woods. No, the reason for his excitement was the same why he had just sneaked out of the headquarters of the Magnolia in the middle of the night. After he had accomplished his initiation and becoming an official member of the Magnolia, Cypher had spent his past two years carrying out odd duties and tasks, ranging from simple infiltration to more gruesome tasks like assassination. Though Cypher's rather emotional nature made it especially difficult for the wolf to carry out these assignments, his sense of duty was stronger, resulting in him becoming one of the most promising members. He had made name of himself, being a mammal who followed his orders down to a T and showed immaculate results._

_But there was one thing Cypher never learnt to do; repressing his feelings._

_After every assignment, whether it was to spy or to kill someone, his conscience never let him be. Every night he was plagued by vivid pictures and nightmares, never being able to fully process his actions or coming to terms with what he had done. And among all those nightmare, the one that had kept him awake on the most nights was the thought of him losing a certain doe._

_Cypher had tried his hardest to forget her, to erase her from his memory so his nightmares and worries would finally dissipate, to no avail. Memories began to appear, memories about her soft fur, her scent, her love._

_One day the wolf couldn't bear it any longer and so he did the one thing he would soon regret for his whole life; he arranged a meeting._

_One meeting turned into two, and two into four. And soon over the past two years he had lost count of how many times he had sneaked out at night to spend time with his love in secrecy, fully aware of the risk they're both taking._

_"To hell with that," Cypher mumbled as he strode through the woods. As much as he respected his boss, he couldn't see the point in trying to change who he was. He loved her, and nothing would change that._

_His thoughts soon faded into nothingness as he reached a small clearing, illuminated brightly by the white moon and the surrounding stars, which appeared like small speckles of fire among a sea of black._

_But it wasn't the sight of the sky that took away the wolf's breath as he halted at the edge of the clearing. It was the slim form of a doe standing in the grass, her back turned to him as she looked up at the stars. A smile growing on his face, the wolf quickly made his way to the middle of the clearing, months of training allowing him to sneak to his target without making a single sound._

_Stepping closer to the clueless doe, her familiar scent invaded his nose and butterflies began to flutter in his stomach. Not being able to keep silent any longer, he decided to speak up, whispering in a hushed tone into one of her ears,_

_"Boo."_

_Just as he had expected, the doe shrieked of surprised before she spun around in a frightened manner, fur standing on end and green eyes wide before her expression turned into one of anger,_

_"Cypher! I told you not to do that!" she yelled at him infuriated, causing the wolf to chuckle as he tried to appease the angry doe._

_"Come on, it was funny. You should've seen your face, it was hilarious," he chuckled as he could clearly see a smile tugging on her lips, as much as she tried to hide her amusement, her anger quickly fading._

_Instead of replying to the wolf she just huffed in fake anger and slapped him lightly on his broad chest as she looked up at him, amused green eyes growing soft,_

_"I'm glad you could make it."_

_Cypher regarded her with loving eyes as he wrapped his arms around her meek body, pulling her into a hug,_

_"Of course I can. There's nothing in the world that could keep me away from you."_

_As Ivy rested her head on his chest, listening to the soothing sound of his heart beating, her smile slightly fell before she silently voiced her concern, the two lovers standing in the middle of the dark clearing,_

_"Are you sure, though?"_

_Her voice was laced with concern and caused the wolf to slightly part from her so he could gaze upon her green pools filled with worry,_

_"What are you talking about?" he asked calmly, confused by the sudden change of behavior of the doe. She averted her gaze as she absentmindedly played with the fur on his neck and answered,_

_"Don't you think we're going too far with this? I mean, we're both risking our lives with what we are doing here."_

_As morbidly her concerns were, she did a surprisingly well task in keeping her voice steady. Again Cypher was completely fascinated by how she could keep her calm while talking about something dark as possible death. Pulling her back into a tight hug and resting his snout on the top of her head, he tried to reassure her the best he could,_

_"You worrywart," he chuckled, "Look, how long have we been doing this already? Two years, Ivy. And not once has anyone ever noticed anything. We'll be fine."_

_Pulling away, he finished by pecking her lovingly on the lips before he gazed into her pools of lush green. Seeing the worry still remaining in her eyes, Cypher frowned slightly as she spoke up,_

_"We could die doing this, Cy. Both of us."_

_"Then at least we'd die together," Cypher retorted, "I would do anything for you, Ivy. And if it means to risk my life, so be it. Because you're worth it."_

_Still seeing the unease on her face, the wolf loosened his hug as he moved towards the trees, the doe clutching his arm before he spoke up again,_

_"Alright, enough of this mopey stuff. We're not here to worry, but to have a good time. So let's enjoy ourselves."_

_Smiling down at his love his heart almost leapt as he finally saw the smile he had fallen in love with. Ivy just shook her head before she snuggled into the warm fur of the wolf, chuckling lightly as she replied,_

_"I don't understand how you can always be so positive when we're literally dancing on a razor's edge." She sighed as she leaned her head into the crook of his arm, staring up at the clear night sky and watching the sparkling stars among the darkness._

_"Do you remember the time when we could just, you know, be ourselves?" She averted her gaze from the magical celestial bodies to look upon the face of her love, "When we could just love each other without having to worry about anything? When we could just lay on the grass and look at the sky."_

_She smiled wistfully as she remembered the carefree time before she whispered to herself,_

_"These clouds never get old."_

_Cypher on the other paw remained silent, listening to the pretty doe talking and genuinely enjoying hearing her voice after such a long time. He truly missed talking to her whenever he was at the Magnolia's and it pained him not being able to just talk to her whenever he wanted. His musings were interrupted as they suddenly halted among the trees, Cypher noticing Ivy had stopped in her tracks as she continued to clutch his arm._

_Turning around and regarding her with a questioning gaze the wolf voiced his concern,_

_"What's wrong? Why are we halting?"_

_She wasn't looking at him as she let go of him, the wolf turning around so he would face her. She was fiddling nervously on her shirt as she was apparently pulling herself together, biting her lips nervously. Red flags were raised inside Cypher's mind and his heart rate increased, not knowing what he should expect. Finally she took a shuddering breath before she looked him squarely into his eyes,_

_"Cypher, I want you to leave the Magnolia and run away with me."_

_Wide ruby eyes stared disbelievingly at the doe as Cypher regarded the fiery gaze of his love. He honestly didn't know how to respond._

_"Ivy.. we- we can't do that. I- if we run away they will chase us to the end of the world. We can't escape them! They would find us eventually and kill us and-" he stuttered, trying to voice his concerns before the angry growing doe interrupted him,_

_"And what do you call this here?" she exclaimed, waving her hooves between them, "Cypher, we're literally hiding from your family. We could die any second when someone catches us. One way or another, we're doomed. So why not be doomed together and at least be free for a while?"_

_Upon hearing this Cypher pushed her away from him as he regarded her with a befuddled expression, his voice laced with disbelief,_

_"How can you say that? Are you even listening to yourself? What kind of life would we live, Ivy? Two outcasts and fugitives running for their lives while being hunted by murderers and assassins? You can't be serious that you're willing to live such a life, because I sure as hell don't want to lead a life where I have to constantly look over my shoulder!"_

_"How is that any different from this?!" she retorted angrily, tears welling up in her eyes, "What is it that you're so reluctant to leave this place with me, huh?"_

_Cypher could just stare wordlessly at her as small rivulets of tears ran down her puffy cheeks. It pained him to see her crying and in this moment he wanted nothing more than to just take her into his arms and sooth her uneasy mind. Just as he was about to speak up, his words died in his mouth as suddenly a familiar feeling crept down his spine. Hackles raised and fur standing on end, his predatory ears swiveling around and looking for any sound. Ruby eyes darted frantically in all directions as panic suddenly rose inside of him._

_"What's wro-," Ivy wanted to know before she was hushed by Cypher's raised paw. Seeing the strange behavior, Ivy decided to follow his orders and kept her mouth shut as she began to look around as well._

_Focussed on his surroundings, Cypher noticed everything was dead silent. Not a single sound echoed through the woods, not even a single leaf rustling in the wind._

_This wasn't good. Even though his eyes and ears told him there was nothing here, his instincts were screaming at him to run. The pressing aura he felt before was getting stronger, and much to his horror Cypher realized that it wouldn't take any longer before_ he _would find them._

_Turning around and looking at the befuddled doe with wide eyes, Cypher was able to mutter a single word before he grabbed her hoof and dashed through the woods as fast as his legs could carry him,_

_"Run."_

_Sprinting in between the high trees and focussing on getting as far away from the aura as possible, Cypher almost didn't hear Ivy behind him asking him something, her voice strained from the running and panic apparent in her tone,_

_"Cypher?! What's going on?"_

_He didn't answer. He just ran. Tightening his grip on her hoof he increased his speed as they raced through the undergrowth. He wasn't sure how long they were already running, but soon enough his sensitive ears picked up the familiar sound of water._

_There's a river near us, Cypher thought and just as he expected they were forced to a halt as they reached a shallow riverbank, cutting them off as they stared across the dark black water, the current way too strong for them to swim safely._

_Clenching his teeth Cypher spun around and looked left and right, trying to find a way out of here, before his senses noticed something;_

_The aura was gone._

_Cypher forced his heart to calm down as he stood at the river bank, Ivy beside him as they both gasped for air and swallowing up oxygen as if it was water. Seeing that she was safe was enough for him to ease his mind and Cypher turned back around to stare across the water._

_He had never been here before, he noticed. The terrain was completely unfamiliar and he honestly didn't even know that there was a river in these parts of woods. Wanting to voice this, he turned around to regard his love just to fall silent as he stared into the blank eyes of the mammal he had hoped he would never run into._

_"Here you are, Cypher. I've been looking for you."_

_The way he talked, the relaxed way he stood in front of him, the calmness that silver fox emanated as he regarded Cypher. He knew all of this was nothing but a façade to fool him. Cypher realized the moment he had seen his boss and his two underlings standing in front of him in these woods, his and Ivy's life were over._

_His heart dropped into his gut as he watched his love, his Ivy struggling in the arms of one of the underlings, a polar bear as tears were streaming down her face. She was staring at him, green eyes wide and her body trembling as she feared for her life._

_"So she is the reason why you have been sneaking out these past few months," the fox spoke up as he strode over towards Ivy and the polar bear. Cypher's breath hitched as he watched the fox touching the doe's face delicately, the wolf's body frozen in terror._

_His mind was blank. He was absolutely out of ideas. They were caught red handed and only the Gods could know what his boss would do with them._

_After a short moment, Cypher swallowed the lump in his throat and was finally able to mutter his words,_

_"Y-you knew?" he breathed as he stared blankly at the blind fox who then turned around to regard him,_

_"Of course I knew," the silver fox began, before he let out a tired sigh, "I just hoped you would get a hold of yourself before I would have to interfere. Unfortunately, I've been mistaken. You disappoint me, Cypher."_

_Now standing directly in front of him, Cypher could only stare in fear at his superior as he continued,_

_"But don't worry," the fox smiled, "Father is here to help. You won't have to worry about her any longer," he turned around to look at the frightened doe, smile growing as he voiced his orders,_

_"Kill her."_

_Cypher's heart skipped a beat upon hearing his boss ordering his underlings to kill Ivy and he stared in shock as the polar bear raised a paw over his head, claws bared and ready to strike while his other arm was holding the trembling doe._

_"WAIT!"_

_Stumbling across the bank Cypher lunged himself towards Ivy, stopping everyone in their tracks as they curiously watched the wolf catching his breath,_

_"Wait. Please don't kill her. She has nothing to do with this, I was the one who initiated this so if you're going to punish anyone, it should be me."_

_He looked pleadingly at the silver fox and hoped he sounded as genuinely as he felt. He would rather die himself before he would see Ivy suffering. His heart was threatening to burst out of his chest as he waited for his boss' answer, who just stood silently in front of him, his blind eyes staring lazily at nothing in particular. And as he spoke up, Cypher swore his heart stopped beating at all,_

_"You're right," he said, actually sounding understanding, "She is not to blame for this. Therefore only you should receive your proper punishment."_

_Turning back to Cypher, he continued with a calm and soft voice, "But don't worry Cypher, I won't kill you. I see very much potential in you and I can't afford to lose someone as important as you."_

_"So.. so you're letting us go?" Cypher asked hopefully._

_"Of course not," the fox chuckled, "I won't kill you. But I will get rid off your biggest weakness; your emotional attachment."_

_The next few moments went by like a blur and Cypher wasn't sure if any time had passed at all as his ruby eyes stared widely at the smiling silver fox in front of him. But it wasn't the fox himself that caused the wolf to fall down on his knees, tears rolling down his face as he looked numbly at the bleeding form of Ivy. His love. His life._

_He didn't know what had happened. She was just standing there mere moments ago, breathing and with the light in her eyes he had cherished so much. And before he could digest what his boss had said, a hole where her heart used to be gaped in her chest, the light in her eyes dissipating into nothingness as her body slumped to the ground._

_His whole world was crumbling apart and Cypher could do nothing but to watch as Ivy took her last breath before she was no more._

_"It's a shame, really," the fox spoke up, sighing as his underlings began to pick up the body of the doe before carrying her away into the darkness of the woods, leaving the fox and the wolf alone, "Believe me, this isn't easy for me either. But I really hope you have learned your lesson Cypher."_

_Cypher remained silent. He was still kneeling in front of the fox, his ruby eyes staring blankly at the spot where his love just had laid. It had happened so fast, he couldn't even utter a single word, a good-bye or anything. She was just gone. Just like that._

_And as reality slowly settled into his mind, his numbness turned into mindless rage and ire, a fire blazing inside his heart he was sure would never dissipate for the rest of his life._

_Not until the fox in front of him would perish._

-o-

"Of course I didn't do anything that night. I knew if I had attacked him straight on, I wouldn't be here. I held my anger to myself, I let it grow over the years and channeled it into training myself so that one day I would be strong enough to kill him."

Jack could do nothing but stare at the white wolf in front of him, mouth agape and blue eyes wide as he had been listening to his story. Cypher instead was calm as he retold his story as if he was telling someone what he had for breakfast, and this fact truly shocked Jack.

"My God," was the only thing Jack was able to mutter as Cypher finished his story.

The wolf just nodded curtly before he spoke up,

"Do you now understand, why I am doing this? I'm doing all of this so I can avenge her. So her death wouldn't be in vain. I do this for her, so that no one has to suffer what I've been through by the paws of the Magnolia ever again."

It finally clicked. Shock turned into understanding and Jack could finally see past the gruff exterior of the wolf in front of him. Behind all of the harsh façade and the violence was a pained wolf yearning for peace. A victim who had lost his love and life, who had suffered pain Jack hoped he would never have to endure. And as Jack finally understood what kind of enemy they were about to face, his befuddled mind could only think of one question,

"This fox, what's his name?"

Cypher averted his gaze as his eyes focussed on his sword lying beside him on the floor. Picking up his trusted weapon he rested it in his lap as he unsheathed the blade, the reflection of his ruby eyes appearing on the polished metal. Looking at his own image, he spoke in a low voice,

"Just like his nature, his name derives from the depths of hell. His name embodies evil, lies and deception," he said as he returned his gaze to the flummoxed rabbit,

"His name is Mephistopheles."


	17. Fluttering Hearts

_"Cause I felt vibrations across a burgundy sea_

_Now I bet my head on a mission I couldn't lead_

_But maybe there's a moon inside these lines_

_Habitable, and chosen_

_Maybe there's a home behind these eyes_

_Waiting until my logic falters and I'm losing hope_

_Who knows?"_

_-Gallant, Chandra_

_That is Mr. Big?!_

Amethyst eyes wide and mouth agape, Judy couldn't believe what she was seeing. Here she was, thinking this huge manor, filled with splendor and luxuries belongs to the polar bears. But once again she had assumed wrong as her fox companion stood in front of a tiny arctic shrew and conversed about seemingly trivial things. They exchanged greetings, they asked how they were doing, they chattered as if they were _old friends_!

Slowly reality settled in and Judy was able to close her mouth again as she stepped up to the two mammals, which turned stopped their conversation and turned around upon her speaking up,

"Uhm.. what's going on?" she asked meekly as her eyes darted from the fox to the shrew.

A shiver ran down her spine as the shrew regarded her with a cold glare before he asked Nick, completely ignoring her question,

"And why, may I ask, have you brought a police officer into my domain, Nicky?"

Smiling curtly, Nick answered, "Don't worry, Mr. Big. She's a friend, and we're merely here to get some information we have hoped you could provide."

"Information regarding what?" the shrew grunted before he turned around to look at Nick with a questioning gaze as he raised a single bushy eyebrow.

"We need information about the whereabouts of the Magnolia family," Nick answered in a polite tone, not wanting to aggravate the short tempered mafia boss.

The glare on Mr. Big's face quickly turned into curiosity as the shrew turned his head to regard the bunny. Judy had to try her hardest not to succumb under the scrutinizing gaze of the rodent. Suddenly she became very aware of the looming presence of the many polar bears surrounding them, their predatory gaze seemingly remaining solely on her. The tension was unbearable and Judy had to wonder as to how Nick was able to remain so calm in such a hostile environment.

Nick on the other paw seemed to be as collected as ever as he tried to appease the shrew, a smug smile on his lips,

"I promise, you don't need to worry about anything, Sir. We won't tell anything that might incriminate you. As I said before, we're just here to get information."

Judy couldn't believe what Nick was saying and stared disbelievingly at her companion before stepping up closer to the desk, the tension dissipating and turning into annoyance as she regarded the two mammals,

"Now hold up a second, this is an officia-"

She was interrupted by something incredibly fluffy and red tickling her nose, causing it to twitch before a meek sneeze left her mouth. Quickly pulling herself together she pushed Nick's tail away from her face before glaring at him. She was about to chide him and ask him why he had interrupted her, but he beat her to it,

"As I was saying," he shot her a piercing look, causing her to huff annoyed, "this conversation is completely off the records. All we want to know is if you know more about the Magnolia."

Bunny and fox stared expectantly at the shrew as Mr. Big was seemingly thinking about if whether he should help them or not. Swallowing the nervosity down, Judy tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in her guts as she stood in front of the crime boss who might have all the power in his tiny paws to make two mammals disappear without any trace, if they were to aggravate him.

And it freaked her out.

"Hm," the shrew finally hummed before he looked at Nick, "I know everything about the underworld, Nicky. But it surprises me that you of all mammals would ask me about the Magnolia."

He gave Nick a small smile, causing Nick to mirror his expression, "I do know enough about them. All I need is their location."

"And why should I give you that kind of information? Tell me Nicky, why should I give you anything at all? I don't owe you anything, or the ZPD for that matter. So why should I help you?"

Judy had enough. Pushing her fear out of the way the bunny again stepped forward, pointing a gray furred digit at the shrew as she angrily exclaimed,

"Because otherwise I am forced to arrest you, Sir, for obstruction of justice! This is an official police investigation and-"

"Carrots!" Nick hissed as he watched her outbreak with wide emeralds, the blood draining from his face, "What in God's name are you doing?!"

She spun around to glare at him, "I'm doing my job! That's what I'm doing!" She turned back to the shrew to continue her rant, "And my job includes arresting crime bosses who withhold information, so you better spit out anything you know before I have to bring you back to the precinct!"

Before she received an answer from the stoic shrew a red furred paw on her shoulder pulled her back and away from the desk as Nick held up his paws placatingly, trying to appease the shrew,

"I'm so deeply sorry for my friend's outbreak, Sir. She is quite delusional right now, seems like the cold weather is getting to her, heh," he chuckled, trying to de-escalate the situation as he waited for the shrew's answer. Mr. Big on the other paw was unmoved by either of the mammals outbreak as he remained seated in his chair, his glare intensifying as he regarded fox and bunny.

"Heh," Mr. Big finally chuckled mirthlessly, "I like her zeal."

Nick breathed out a sigh of relief as he heard the shrews answer, while Judy continued to glare at him, paws on hips and ears erect. But Nick's relief quickly turned into pure horror as the mafia boss contiued,

"But what I don't like are threats thrown at me," he turned around to send Nick a piercing glare before he spoke in a menacing tone,

"I like you Nicky. You have done me many favors and I am very thankful for your past services. But your bunny here is on _very_ thin ice. You better teach her some manners before I have to, and you know very well how I tend to teach."

The fox just nodded quickly and mouthed a 'Thank you' before he threw Judy a pointing look, causing her to harrumph annoyedly. She crossed her arms and continued to glare at the arctic shrew, but sensing how the polar bears around them had moved slightly closer, she decided the best move would be to remain silent. For now.

It still bothered her how she was literally standing in front of a crime boss, a criminal and she couldn't exactly do anything without bringing herself and Nick into danger or jeopardizing the case. Aside from the feeling of helplessness she didn't like the past this Mr. Big was insinuating Nick had before they've met. What did he mean by saying _past services_? What did Nick do? Was he an enforcer or something?

Yet again Judy had to come to realize how little she knew about the fox beside her. Granted, they only knew each other for a few days, but she couldn't help feeling like he had already figured her out while she was still struggling with finding out who her friend exactly was.

Her annoyed frown turned into an uneasy stare as she continued to watch Nick wordlessly while her ears listened to their conversation. Judy had the feeling she had to be more patient with him if she truly wanted to figure out who he was.

"Now where were we," Mr. Big began as he leaned back into his tiny office chair on top of the desk, "You want to know where the Magnolia family's location is, correct?"

Nick nodded curtly as he straightened himself, silently relieved that the earlier tension had somewhat dissipated, thanks to the now silent bunny. He could still feel her glare beside him, but decided to ignore her as his emeralds and ears focussed on the arctic shrew,

"Again Nicky, I am surprised you come to me for this kind of information. You're a smart guy, you should have been able to figure it out on your own by now," Mr. Big commented, a slight smile on his lips as he continued,

"Now, what kind of mammals are the Magnolias, Nicky?"

Furrowing his brow, Nick quickly answered, "Predators, but what does this have to do with anything?"

Upon hearing the shrews chuckle, Nick's frown deepened, not knowing where this was going.

"Correct. The Magnolias are a proud family of predators, their ancestry including all known predators in Animalia. Prey on the other paw, are only seen as servants. Or as second-class citizens," the shrew continued, his eyes regarding Judy as he finished his sentence, causing the bunny to deepen her glare.

"Now Nicky," he turned back to the fox, "Apart from the Magnolia, where do predators like you and me go to when we feel discriminated and treated unjustly? Where do we go to in order to get a break from the prejudiced gazes of prey?"

Averting his gaze, Nick had to think a moment about the question from the shrew. It wasn't a hard question at all. Quite on the contrary, Nick had asked himself that exact question before when he had been a young tod, not long after Fanny's passing. Nick wasn't an idiot and as much as Fanny had tried to protect him from discrimination and prejudice, he could still see and hear it. It wasn't like prey animals were subtle with their discrimination. That's how it came that young Nick had asked himself, 'Is there somewhere a place in Zootopia, where a predator could be free from this feeling of oppression?'

The answer was easy,

"A place where only predators reside," Nick answered loudly as he turned his gaze back to the smiling shrew.

Mr. Big smiled as he answered. The shrew leaned his body forward as he looked at Nick expectantly, "Correct, and where, Nicky, does such a place exist in Zootopia?"

This question, too, wasn't hard and the damning answer caused Nick to swallow a nervous lump in his throat as his concerned eyes darted to the bunny beside him, who regarded him in a confused manner. The answer was an easy one, but at the same time, the meaning behind it was way more difficult than he had thought,

"The Nocturnal District."

Mr. Big's smile grew upon Nick's answer as he leaned back into his chair. The shrew continued in a nonchalant tone, seemingly at wit's end as he waved them away,

"That's all I know. Even I don't know the exact location of the Magnolia. Believe me when I say that I have spent quite a long time looking for them, and it seems the Magnolia family is simultaneously everywhere and nowhere at all. You're chasing a ghost, Nicky."

Nick nodded upon the shrew's explanation as he searched through his mind for any possible location inside the Nocturnal District that could lead them to the Magnolia. He was so focussed, he almost didn't hear the bunny beside him speaking up.

"Why are you telling us all of this? You said before that you don't owe us anything, so what is the reason for you telling us all of this?"

The two predators averted their attention towards the questioning bunny, as she stood in front of the shrew, her arms crossed and eyes sparkling with defiance. Nick again feared he would have to save her tail, but he quickly realized his concerns were unfounded as the shrew just smiled at the bunny,

"My child, I'm a very powerful mammal and I would do anything to keep it that way. And if it means to cooperate with the police in order to get rid off potential competitors of any kind, then who am I to refuse?

"And besides. If you have been on top of the food chain for so long, you slowly yearn for a change of pace. Where would be the fun, if I'm not able to risk something once in a while?"

It disturbed Judy deeply upon hearing the answer and she had to swallow a retort as she feared to say something wrong to this power-possessed mammal. Deciding to remain silent and bringing it up later, she just nodded curtly. Nick thanked Mr. Big politely before the two smaller mammals were about to leave the room together with the polar bear servant from earlier, as the shrill voice of the mafia boss caused them to stop in their tracks before turning around to regard the smiling shrew one last time,

"And before you leave, send Mephisto my kindest regards, would you?"

-o-

"This is horrible."

Fangmeyer was currently slumping in her chair as she sat before the many screens in the observation room of the ZPD. Sighing exasperatedly she let her head fall back on the back of the chair as she closed her tired eyes for a moment, causing her canine partner sitting beside her to chuckle as he commented,

"Don't be so negative, Fang. Sure, it might be boring, but at least it's easy work, right?"

Opening her eyes to glare at the wolf playfully from the corner of her eye, she retorted without moving her body except for a slight smile,

"Easy for you to say, _Wolfy_. If I recall correctly it was you who just disappeared for a couple of hours because of some important call, while leaving me here alone doing all the work."

"Oh, please don't start with that nickname. And besides, it was important," Wolford defended himself as he straightened up from his slumped position, facing the tigress, "My sister is pregnant! You know how you.. _females_ can be when all of your hormones are starting to act up."

"Hormones? _Females_?" Fangmeyer asked him pointedly, making sure to growl slightly at the wolf as she sat up to face him. Of course she wasn't really angry at his choice of words, but it felt good to see him squirm under her gaze. And that he did.

"Have you forgotten how my _hormones_ have saved your ass several times in the past? Remember the _Barista incident_?"

"T.. that was one time!" Wolford stuttered, holding up a gray furred finger as uncomfortable memories reappeared he would rather have forgotten.

Seeing the befuddled wolf Fangmeyer finally decided to drop the act a few moments later as she chuckled, causing Wolford to grumble before he turned back to the screens.

"Why did we even agree on doing this?" Fangmeyer spoke up after a moment of silence, "This is rookie work! Sitting in this cramped room for hours and staring at a screen without anything happening at all, ugh!"

Wolford on the other paw just shrugged as he let his gaze wander over the computer screens, his paw lifting his coffee cup to his snout as he responded,

"Meh, it's not that bad. After all we get to spend the day together, right?"

Suddenly Fangmeyer felt the heat rushing into her cheeks upon hearing his comment. Peeking over to the wolf who was still staring at the screen smirking, she had to force herself to calm down before she retorted,

"Don't be silly," she said, "We're partners, we already spend every single day together."

"And I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied, finally turning around to look at her stunned face before winking at her. Seeing the usually so tempered and stoic tigress suddenly so flustered amused Wolford to no end and he had to suppress a snicker before he turned back to the screen.

Fangmeyer couldn't believe what she was hearing. Wide eyes remained on the calm wolf before she had to tear her gaze away from him, her mind racing. Sure, they were partners for years and very good friends, but Wolford was never the type of mammal to be so bold about his feelings. Talking in such a manner to her while they were alone wasn't a common thing between them, and it raised a lot of questions inside of her mind she wasn't ready to face yet.

Or was she? Watching her partner from the corner of her eyes, how he sipped relaxedly from his mug while watching the screen with a faint smile on his lips and the dress blues that fitted him rather smugly, the tigress had to admit that her partner was a quite good looking mammal. He was around her age, they share some common interests and had been friends for quite a while. She barely did anything without him. So did she like him? Absolutely, one hundred percent.

So what was there to hold her back?

"Say," the tigress began, ignoring the nervous fluttering inside her guts, "Do you have.. I don't know, any plans this weekend?"

Turning his eyes from the screen to the tigress, Wolford raised a questioning eyebrow as he stared at her.

"No? Not really," he replied, setting down his mug, "Why do you ask?"

"Well," she started to ramble, her eyes darting to everything in the room except for the wolf, "I was wondering, you know. I don't really have any plans either, and I've read the other day that they're opening this new café on the other side of town.. and.. uhm.."

"Fang," Wolford interrupted her softly, causing her to look up at him, "Are you asking me out?"

Seeing his questioning gaze, all of her resolve suddenly collapsed like a house of cards and the tigress couldn't quite find her words anymore as she stammered,

"N..no! I… I'm not asking you out! Why are you assuming such a thing? Gosh Jonathan, you need to loosen up! M.. maybe you're the one who's asking me out! Isn't it? "

"And if I was?" he replied amusedly, a sudden hopeful sparkle in his eyes as he smiled at her, causing her heart to race.

"Uhm..."

She trailed off as she stared squarely at the wolf with wide eyes, her heart racing as she mentally kicked herself for being so awkward. This wasn't like her at all! She was Officer Fangmeyer, for Pete's sake! The feared and tough tigress that could beat you in the ground in more than fifty different ways! Why was it so hard for her to ask this question? It wasn't like she had never been out with Wolford before, so what was so different this time?

 _You know what's the reason, Kitty_ , a smug sounding voice inside her head responded, _You're definitely into that handsome wolf over there, and you're not sure if you can handle it._

 _Don't call me Kitty!_ , she angrily replied in her mind, _And I'm most definitely not into him!_

_You sure?_

_..Maybe._

"Fang?"

"Huh?" Fangmeyer's thinking faded into the back of her mind as she refocused on her partner, who had turned back to the screen with a serious expression during her internal debate, causing her to follow his eyes.

"What's wrong? What did you find?" she asked as she tried to find what he was looking at, trying to focus on her work while she mentally cursed herself for being such an awkward wuss. The fluttering inside her guts was still there, but for now she had more pressing matters to think about. Pushing her thoughts about earlier away the tigress returned to Wolford as she waited for his answer,

"I've got them," the wolf replied seriously.

"Really? So where did they go yesterday? Can you follow their path?" Fangmeyer was about to note down the clues and directions, before Wolford shook his head, his focussed gaze still on the computer screen.

"Not really," he replied, causing Fangmeyer to look at him confused, "I have no idea where they went yesterday."

He pointed at one of the many screens. Following his finger, Fangmeyer realized that he wasn't pointing at a recording from yesterday, but at a live feed of a giant white wolf and a striped buck walking down the streets of Zootopia Downtown.

"But I do know where they are _right now_."

-o-

"Well that was definitely something."

Nick and Judy were now walking down the snowy path leading from the mansion to the metal gates as Nick decided to break the silence. The sun was already on its way towards the horizon, the trees and buildings casting long shadows over the pearly white snow on the ground. Judy still had a hard time trying to digest everything she had just experienced and thousands of questions were swirling in her mind. And just like the myriad of snowflakes drifting through the air as they walked through the snow, she couldn't quite pick out one exact question to ask her companion. Furrowing her brow, her amethyst eyes occasionally darted to the fox walking beside her. _Were you involved with organised crime? What was your relationship with Mr. Big? What did he mean with 'past services'? Why the heck is your tail so fluffy?!_

She didn't know if her questions were too personal or if the bond between them was even established enough for her to ask such things, but seeing that Nick was clearly trying to strike a casual conversation, she decided she would ask him at a later time when they wouldn't have a case on their paws.

"Yeah, it was… _something_. Can't quite say it was pleasant though."

"What?" Nick asked, fake shock on his face as he looked at the bunny, "How could a meeting with a notorious crime boss who was literally about to kill us not be pleasant? I don't know about you, Carrots, but I had definitely the time of my life."

"Oh yeah? I don't think you were in any mortal danger, Slick. If I remember correctly, he said he liked you," Judy snorted as she mirrored the smirk on Nick's face,

"Anyway, apart from the _pleasantries_ , we do have a lead now. So, Mr. Wilde," she looked at Nick with a raised eyebrow, "How and when should we get to this Nocturnal District?"

Upon her question Nick just snorted before he broke eye contact, causing the bunny to frown as he retorted,

"We aren't doing anything. I am going there with Wolfy and Kitty. You're sitting this one out, Fluff."

"What?!" Judy exclaimed surprised as she stopped in her tracks, "So I'm supposed to just sit there and do nothing while you and the others solve the case? Not going to happen!"

She proceeded to glare at him as she put her paws on her hips, causing Nick to stop as well and turn around to regard her with a serious expression and crossed arms,

"Haven't you heard what he said, Carrots? The Nocturnal District isn't a place for mammals like you."

"Mammals like _me_?" Judy pointed out baffled as if she couldn't believe what he was trying to say, "So you're saying just because I'm a rabbit I can't go to this place?"

"It's dangerous Carrots! The preds there hate prey and the police, and guess what! You're both! Do you know what they're going to do with you?"

"I don't care what they're going to do, Nick!" Judy was fuming by now as she glared at the fox. She put a paw on her chest as she continued to rant,

"I'm a police officer! Being in danger is part of the job description and I am more than capable of taking care of myself! Or do you think I'm not cut out for this job?"

"Hey! I never said that," Nick retorted, slowly growing annoyed by the stubborn bunny. Dragging a paw through his face he tried to calm himself down and taking a breath as he proceeded to appease the angry bunny, his voice steady and low,

"Listen Judy," he said pointedly, "I know that you're more than capable of kicking some ass and taking care of yourself, but this place.. The Nocturnal District despises prey, they have a strict policy of never letting a prey animal in. If they see you, if they find you…"

He had to swallow the lump in his throat as something strange suddenly stirred inside of him. He had never felt such a sense to protect someone, and even if he had just met her a couple days ago, Nick could safely say he didn't want to lose her this soon.

Judy could only stare surprised at her vulpine companion as he was practically begging her to stay away from this case. And as much as heartfelt his reasoning was, as much as she felt flattered because of his concern for her, she was a police officer and it was her job to solve this case and protect the citizens of Zootopia.

"I really appreciate that you're this concerned for me Nick," she began, "But I can't possibly just stand by doing nothing while you're going in there all on your own, facing these mammals. We're doing this together Nick, if you like it or not and there's nothing you could say that would change my mind."

"Arrgh!" Nick exclaimed as he ran his paws through his facial fur, groaning exasperatedly as he turned around, his back facing the bunny. He just shook his head as he put his paws on his hips. It was futile, he realized. As much as he wanted to keep her away from danger, she was right. This was her case, she was the lead investigator and he couldn't do a damn thing to keep this righteous bunny from doing her job.

"Is there really nothing that could change your mind?" he asked tiredly, his back still facing Judy. The bunny sighed before she answered determinedly,

"No. We are doing this together, Nick. No matter what."

The fox remained silent for a short moment, the two mammals standing silently in the snow as the wind howled. Finally, what seemed like an eternity, Nick huffed and snorted a curt "Fine." before he continued his way down the path without turning around to look at Judy. The bunny on the other paw felt slightly hurt by the fox's sudden cold behavior as he walked away from her towards their cruiser down the street.

Regret and guilt suddenly infected her mind as she reflected on their argument. She understood his concern for her and it truly meant a lot to her, more than he knew. But she couldn't possibly sit this one out. This was the case she had waited for so long, and she'd be damned if she would just sit and wait while Nick could possibly die. Yet she felt bad for not showing more sympathy.

The sudden urge to make things right between them rose inside of her. She knew if they wanted to work on this case effectively then the worst thing possible was miscommunication. She had to break this tension between them as soon as possible before it could become worse, but she had the feeling that words wouldn't quite cut it. So what was she supposed to do?

Looking around her, she could only see seemingly infinite whiteness among the snow. Smirking, she now knew exactly what to do.

Nick didn't know how long he had been already walking away from Judy, but he honestly couldn't care less. All he wanted was to get out of the cold into the warm cruiser so he could at least sulk in peace. Couldn't she understand that all he was trying to do was keeping her safe? Was she so blind to realize that she was literally about to throw herself in danger? Huffing in annoyance, Nick increased his speed as he stomped his way through the snow, mumbling under his breath all the way down the snowy path,

"Dumb bunny.."

But as he walked away, her words began to ring inside his head over and over. She was right, there wasn't anything in the world Nick could do to keep her from doing her job. He knew how much this meant to her, and who was he to refuse her that. But purposely bringing her in danger didn't sit right with him either. The least he could do was to go with her and to make sure nothing would happen to her.

His mumblings were forcefully interrupted as something cold and hard suddenly connected with the back of his head, causing him to stumble slightly. Frowning he turned around to regard the bunny, who was standing a few couple meters up the path, a smug grin on her lips while holding another snowball in her paws.

"Seriously?" Nick grunted annoyed, "We don't have time for this so if you cou-"

Again he was interrupted, but this time the snowball hit him squarely in his face, catching the fox by surprise as he stumbled and fell unceremoniously on his tail. Wiping the snow from his face he proceeded to send the bunny a glare.

"What's wrong, _Snowball_ ," Judy taunted as she picked up more snow, "I thought you wanted me to stop? Well, I guess you just have to _make_ me stop."

Nick glared at the smug bunny, standing with cocked hips and a smirk on her face that could have been on par with Nick's. But as Nick watched her grinning face, he could also see something more than just taunting in her sparkling eyes. There was desperation, a subtle begging as she stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to take the bait.

Nick couldn't help but soften his glare as he realized what the bunny was trying to do. Instead of letting the argument earlier infest the air around them, she had decided to look past it, trying to get them back on course. A warm fluttering inside him and a tidal wave of mixed emotions swirled through his body, but Nick wouldn't be the fox he was now if he would just walk away from a challenge. The bunny needed to be stopped, and it seemed like he was the only one to do the job.

"Sly bunny," he muttered amusedly before he picked himself up, "Just you wait!"

The fox dashed through the snow skillfully as he inched closer to the bunny. Judy's eyes immediately lighted up upon seeing the joyful sparkle in Nick's emeralds instead of the hostile glint from earlier. Giggling she spun around as she ran away from the fox as she made her way through the thick layer of snow. Jumping to and fro the two of them dashed around, laughing and giggling as if they hadn't have a care in the world.

But as simple Nick had imagined it, he came quickly to the realization that Judy wasn't an easy bunny to catch. While he had predatory skills to move around in such terrain effectively, Judy had the advantage of strong legs and agility. So she swiftly jumped and dodged all of his advances, leaving him diving into pure cold white instead of soft gray.

Grumbling the fox changed his strategies. Instead of chasing after the now laughing bunny, he decided he would just cut her off. Smirking, Nick quickly changed direction as he watched from the corner of his eyes how Judy ran around a curve.

Cutting across the route he put as much strength he could muster and covered quickly the distance and soon enough the bunny was now mere feet away from him.

Seeing the surprised expression on Judy's face was enough for him to bark a audible "Gotcha!" before he jumped off the ground, tackling the stunned bunny into the snow before the two mammals rolled around as they laughed in joy.

"Get off of me, you dumb fox!" Judy chuckled as she tried to push the heavy fox off. Nick replied with his own laughter as he tried to pick himself up. But as the fox tried to push himself off of the ground he soon found himself looming on all fours over the giggling bunny, his own laughter dying down as he watched the joyful expression on her beautiful face.

Suddenly Nick became very aware of how close he was to Judy, his nostrils filling with her sweet scent as he felt her soft body underneath him, how her small frame seemed to fit perfectly under his lean body. Swallowing the lump in his throat his body suddenly heated up as he watched how her own laughter died down before she opened her sparkling pools of amethyst and immediately Nick found himself lost inside those eyes. How enchanting her gaze glistened in the white light of the moon, how her soft gray fur took on a slight otherworldly blue hue. It was breathtaking.

"Uhm," Judy began as she realized that Nick somehow had frozen on top of her. The fox was just staring at her dumbfoundedly, his emeralds wide as Judy realized that his snout was mere inches away from her own.

"N.. Nick?" she asked warily. Feeling her sweet breath on his snout, the fox's ears perked up as he heard her question, his mind finally registering her questioning gaze as he continued to lay on top of her, his body seemingly refusing to move.

"We.. we should probably go.." Judy spoke up in a husky voice as she as well lost herself in his emeralds. Never before was she this close to another mammal, a predator mind you, and never before had she seen such stunningly green eyes before. She could feel the heat rising to her face as she averted her gaze.

"Yeah..," Nick whispered absentmindedly as his mind finally regained control over his body. The fox couldn't help but to feel a pang of disappointment in his gut as the bunny started to move away from him as as soon as he picked himself up. A strange concoction of feelings welled up inside of him as he watched her standing in the moonlight surrounded by snow while the stars sparkled above her. It was nearly impossible for him to look away, and before Judy could notice him staring, a loud crackling sound suddenly interrupted the serene silence around the two mammals.

The awkward aura around them immediately dissipating as the radio on Judy's shoulder blared, the distorted yet unmistakable voice of Wolford coming through,

_"Hopps! Hopps, come in!"_

Dusting herself off of the snow, the bunny quickly answered the radio, failing to notice the silent sigh of relief from her vulpine companion. Nick shook the confusing swirl of thoughts away as he focussed back on the case at paw, looking curiously at Judy as she went ahead to answer the call. There was a time and place for everything, and right now he had more pressing matters than mulling over a bunny.

"Hopps here," she answered, her body and mind already in cop mode, "What's the matter, Wolford?"

There was a short moment of silence until the two mammals finally heard an answer from the wolf, causing both of their ears to perk simultaneously upon hearing the news,

_"It's Savage, we found him."_

-o-

_"I found them."_

The silver fox released the button of the intercom on his desk after hearing the message from one of his underlings. Mephisto was now in his office, sitting in the dark of his office as he had sent his underlings to comb through the city, searching for either Cypher or the striped rabbit, Savage. Closing his blank eyes, the fox mulled over his next move before he again pushed the button,

"Good. Don't do anything for now. Just watch them and keep me updated. I will be there soon."

Ending the conversation, Mephisto released the button and leaned back into the cushion of his office chair. His eyes still closed, his ears swiveled around the room as he listened to the faint sounds of rustling leaves outside the building and the slightly louder voices of the mammals inside. But the loudest sound he was able to hear was the vixen on the bed in the corner of the room, who spoke up after a while,

"Where are you going?"

Her voice was quiet and meek, but he had no trouble whatsoever hearing how anxious and nervous she truly was. She was trying to hide it, trying to appear confident and fearless, but he could see right through it. Not literally of course.

Turning his head and opening his eyes, he regarded the young vixen,

"Just going to run some errands, nothing to worry about."

The silver fox lifted himself up before he rounded his desk. Skye watched the fox crossing the dark room as he reached the wooden door. She had spent most of the day sleeping, at least she tried to. The looming presence of the fox didn't grant her a single moment of relief and she was beyond tired. But something inside her told her not to let this mammal out of sight, even if only to calm her own nerves, knowing he wasn't doing anything to her.

But she knew the reason why her heart was racing like a thousand miles per hour wasn't the fear for her own well being. Skye wasn't dumb.

She had a hunch what his _errands_ were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for now! Next time we're gonna find out what Cypher and Jack are up to, so stay tuned!
> 
> By the way, I also uploaded my works on FanFiction.NET, you can find me under the same username. I also have a tumblr where I update you guys on stories and answer questions, my username is _khoai-mon_
> 
> Be sure to leave a review and comment in case you have questions :)
> 
> ~Bye!


	18. No Rest For The Weary

_"Ain't it funny how it happens_

_Who ever would imagine_

_Jokes on you_

_But Satan the only one laughing."_

_-Danny Brown, Ain't It Funny_

As soon as the silver fox left the room, Skye immediately glanced around the office, trying to find any way to escape this bed. Panic and fear was still rooted inside her body like an anchor and threatened every second to paralyze her, but the vixen did her best to remain calm as her blue eyes roamed the area. She had actually managed to rest for a few hours prior, if resting was even possible for her in such a situation. Whenever she wanted to fall asleep, the thought of that silver fox returned to her like a haunting ghost, preventing her from easing her mind. Something about him was unsettling her, but she just couldn't pinpoint it. She knew nearly nothing about where she was or who those mammals where. Whenever she asked him why she was here he would give her some cryptic answer in his usual soothing voice, and it infuriated her. She hated the fact that the fox seemed so cool and collected, so friendly and approachable. And it freaked her out to no end.

So after managing to actually take a nap for a few hours as the fox had left for something, Skye was sure she was fit enough to find a way out of here. Again she tried to pull her paws out from the cuffs, to no avail. No matter how much she would push or pull, the metal just grated painfully on her skin as she tried to slip out the cuffs. Grunting annoyed, she tried a different strategy. Collecting herself, she channeled all the strength she could muster and kicked the railing of the bed. Nothing budged. Clenching her teeth, she tried again. And again and again until she heard the wood cracking. After kicking it several times she noticed the wood splintering.

Determined she could escape, Skye kicked the railing one last time and finally it broke from the wooden frame of the bed. Gasping of surprise, she stared with wide blue eyes at her more or less free paw. Even though the wooden pieced of the railing were still bound to her wrist due to the cuff, she was at least able to move freely now.

Turning around she did the same thing with the other railing until she finally managed to get herself free after spending several minutes destroying the bed. Jumping of the bed, she noticed how weak she was on her legs, her knees wobbling as she tried to keep herself steady. She hadn't been on her feet for quite a while now. Clenching her teeth, she continued her way through the dark office steady and slowly, her arms stretched out in case she would fall.

Heart racing and palms sweaty Skye knew she had to move fast, no matter what. She knew it was just a matter of time before that damned fox would return. And she was sure that if he would return to his office with a free vixen, he wouldn't be so approachable any more.

Stumbling towards the door, she tried to listen to any sounds outside the room, her ears focussed as they swiveled around. She purposely held her paws behind her, trying to keep the dangling pieces of the railing on her wrist away from the door as it would cause a ruckus.

Not hearing anything on the other side, Skye took another steadying breath before she opened the door, peeking outside with valiant eyes as they roamed the empty hallway. Much to her relief, a few lanterns on the ceiling and walls were illuminating the dimly lit hallway. Even though she was a predator, she still preferred lit rooms. Especially now after spending several days in complete darkness it felt like the biggest gift on earth to see some sort of light.

Continuing her way, the vixen tried to sneak quietly through the rooms, peeking around the corner to make sure she was alone. Her ears couldn't pick out anything and her eyes couldn't see anyone. She was alone.

"At least close the door when you leave the room, Skye."

Her heart almost leapt out of her throat as a sudden voice spoke from behind her, causing the panicked vixen to spin around. Wide blue eyes stared at the mammal she had hoped not to see as Skye started to back away slowly from the silver fox. She swore her heart was bursting out her chest as she swallowed nervously, every muscle in her meek body trembling as the fox stared at her with the same nonchalant and warm expression she had grown to hate. His damn smile.

She was about to speak up, thinking of any excuse for her action, but any response died inside her throat as a sudden shudder ran down her spine, causing her muscles to tense. Her body was completely paralyzed. Eyes wide she could only stare at the fox as he moved closer to her until he was right in front of her, paws in pocket and stance relaxed.

"Why did you leave your room, Skye? I told you to stay in bed and to rest."

The way he talked as if he was chiding his child sickened Skye and she wanted nothing more than to just run away, but her body refused to move. No matter what she wanted to do, her body was frozen in place. It was as if her mind was no longer in control, not even when the fox inched closer, his gray paw touching her shoulder delicately as the fox let out a tired sigh,

"You shouldn't strain yourself. What good are you to me if you're all exhausted?"

A strange mix of emotions churned up inside her guts as his paw wandered down the length of her arm until he grasped her paw,

"Now be a good girl and stay in bed. I'm going to away for a while, but remember Skye," his grip on her paw tightened,

"I will always see you."

Before she could grasp what was happening to her, a sudden force from behind catapulted her straight into the room she had just left. The immense velocity pushed the air out her lungs as the foreign force pushed her onto the bed, causing her land painfully on the mattress before the door shut closed, the sound of it being locked echoing around the otherwise quiet room.

Gasping for air, Skye spun herself around and sat up on the bed, wide eyes staring at the now closed doors as her heart refused to calm down.

_What the hell was that?!_

Her mind racing, she tried to figure out how that fox was able to just catapult her back inside this room without as much but touching her. It was impossible. No living mammal could have this kind of strength. No, that fox wasn't just some mammal. That fox was dangerous and Skye was sure he wouldn't be so lenient the next time she would try to escape.

The idea of escaping wasn't so appealing anymore.

-o-

"Where are we going again?"

Jack's question fell on deaf ears as he walked down the streets with the white wolf leading the way. Both of them wore oversized black hoodies, the hood pulled over their heads as they walked through the sparsely populated streets at night. Even though the sky was already getting dark, the moon already shining brightly, the streets were still illuminated by the many streetlights and by various shops as they were still open, mammals milling around as they went on their way. Jack had to admit that it might have looked very strange to some mammals seeing a three feet rabbit walking down the streets together with a giant wolf, both of them in black hoodies. His suspicions were confirmed as an ewe walked towards them, her eyes falling on the both of them and widening slightly before she hurried to the other side of the street.

Grunting dismissively, Jack decided to speak up again,

"Where are we go-"

"Stop asking," Cypher grunted, not looking at Jack as he continued his way down the streets before turning around a corner. Grumbling annoyedly, Jack increased his pace so he would actually walk beside the wolf, glaring up at him from the corner of his eyes but deciding to remain quiet.

He wasn't sure how he should feel about the wolf. It was no surprise that Jack felt very wary about him, all of his instincts telling him to run away from him and to call the police. After all he had all the reason to feel this way about Cypher as the wolf had literally hunted him and his friends mere hours ago. And now here he was, walking with his former enemy and assassin as they had somehow decided earlier that they would work together in order to achieve their more or less mutual interests. Jack would be able to get to the exact location of Skye and rescue her, while Cypher could get the damn journal and do whatever the hell he wanted to. While Jack didn't quite feel comfortable with the idea of Cypher getting the journal with all the dangerous information and spells, something deeply buried inside his mind told him that Cypher could be trusted. It sounded insane and Jack was sure he suffered from a concussion to come to this conclusion, but he actually trusted this wolf, more or less.

If Cypher was his only way of finding and rescuing save, then he had no other choice but to trust him.

While Jack was mulling about the wolf, he didn't notice said wolf stopping in his tracks. Jack walked a few more feet before he noticed that he was walking alone, causing him to spin around. Cypher stood in front of a store, frowning as he stood in front of the class doors, his eyes focussed on something. Intrigued, Jack walked back as he stepped beside Cypher,

"What's wrong?"

Cypher didn't answer, instead he stepped forward as he entered the store, Jack quickly following him.

As the two of them entered the shop, both of their eyes roamed the room, noticing the rows and rows of weaponry and guns upon the many shelves as well as ammunition and everything else that could satisfy the desires of a gun lover's heart.

Raising a questioning brow, Jack again spoke up,

"What are we doing in an armory shop?"

"What does it look like?" Cypher answered as he crossed the room, walking towards the counter opposite of the entrance, "We're getting weapons to fight Mephisto."

Behind the counter stood an elder stag, his broad antlers quite intimidating as he lazily regarded the two hooded figures entering his shop. Raising a brow, the stag regarded the two of them, his voice sounding tired and unimpressed,

"Welcome to BuckShot, how may I help you?"

"Three Colt M1911, two coach guns, the respective ammunition, and ten flashbang grenades . Now," Cypher curtly replied, dropping a duffel bag he carried on the counter.

The stag just regarded the wolf dumbfoundedly as his lazy stare shifted to Jack who looked nervously at the wolf before exclaiming a sheepish, "Please?"

Looking back at the wolf, the stag just snorted before he turned around to get the weapons and ammunition. As soon as he was gone, Jack let out an exhausted sigh,

"Is it possible for you to be less unfriendly?" Cypher just raised a brow as he looked down at Jack.

"I don't see the necessity for kindness. I'm a killer, not his mother."

"Right," Jack sighed, "So, from what I've heard, this Mephisto guy doesn't seem like a mammal we can just shoot, so what are you planning on doing with this?"

"Mephisto sacrificed his eyesight," Cypher answered. Jack waited a few seconds, but as Cypher didn't continue, Jack grumbled angrily,

"And?!"

Sighing and massaging his snout, Cypher continued, "When a Magnolia sacrifices a body part, he exchanges the body part for power. The Familiar of this Magnolia gains strength, size, and speed. Your friend, that red fox did it the other night when you were running away from his apartment."

Jack's eyes widened as he realized Cypher was talking about Nick. He remembered Nick's severed finger, seeing his paw missed a digit. Jack always assumed he had somehow lost it during the fight against Cypher, but now hearing that Nick actually sacrificed his own finger just to save him and Judy…

"Mephisto is different," Cypher continued, pulling Jack out of his thoughts, "Mephisto sacrificed his eyesight, one of his five empirical senses. He cut off a bridge to the empirical world, granting his Familiar an immense boost of power. His Familiar doesn't have a form, it's an abstract being, able to move freely around shadows and shift its appearance. Mephisto's Familiar is extremely dangerous and isn't easy to fight."

Upon hearing this, Jack had to suppress a shudder as he thought about Skye. She was there, right in Mephisto's paws, and if he was as dangerous as Cypher had described, how could he be sure that she was still alive? And if she was, how would they be able to fight such an enemy?

"How are we supposed to fight him then if he's so powerful?"

"Mephisto might be strong, but he isn't invincible," Cypher replied, "The most effective weapon against a Magnolia is complete darkness. There cannot be a shadow if there is no light. Mephisto is no exception, which is why he heavily relies on light such as from the moon, the street lights, or else. If there is no light, Mephisto will be rendered useless."

"It's that easy?"

Cypher chuckled mirthlessly, "No, it's not. He doesn't solely rely on his Familiar, which is why we're here."

Upon finishing his sentence, the stag came back with the weapons and ammunitions in his hooves as he stepped behind the counter, his tired eyes not regarding either of them as he stuffed the weapons into the duffel bag before announcing disinterestedly,

"Cash or credit?"

-o-

After paying the stag the money, Jack followed Cypher back out onto the dark streets before they walked a few blocks down until reaching an alleyway. Entering the dark alley, Cypher set down the duffel bag onto the ground before he bent down and picked the guns out.

Watching him curiously, Jack spoke up, his eyes nervously roaming the empty streets behind them as he felt quite uncomfortable flashing these kinds of weapons in public,

"Why are we halting? And what are you doing with the guns?"

Again the wolf remained silent, not answering Jack's questions as he focussed on his task. More or less used to the wolf's strange behavior, Jack just harrumphed before he stepped around the wolf in order to see clearly what he was doing. Cypher had his eyes closed, seemingly mumbling something under his breath as he held a gun in his paws. After a while he opened his eyes, put the gun aside as he picked another one up and repeated the process.

Jack watched him with an intrigued gaze and as Cypher finished his strange ritual with the shotgun, he decided to voice his concern,

"What the hell are you doing?"

Finishing his mumbling Cypher just huffed annoyed as he put the weapons back into the duffel bag before he stood back up, the bag slung over his shoulder,

"Is it usual for you to ask so many questions? Don't worry about it, I just blessed the weapons."

Frowning at the wolf Jack crossed his arms as he glared at the wolf,

"Why did you do it now? It's not like they are going to attack us soon, right? I mean they don't know where we are."

Cypher just shrugged, "Just in case."

Not satisfied with the answer but deciding not to aggravate the wolf further, Jack just sighed as he turned around, looking out onto the streets as he was making sure no one had followed them. Despite being able to understand Cypher's actions, he doubted that anyone knew where they were. Pulling down his hoodie the rabbit walked out of the alley into the streetlight as he looked up into the dark blue sky. He could barely see any stars due to the light pollution, only faint sparkles among the darkness. Maybe they were stars. Maybe they were just planes and their warning lights. He didn't know.

And as Jack stood on the streets gazing up at the sky, what he also didn't know was the fact that a street camera was filming this particular alleyway, the watchful gazes of two police officers already recognizing the unmistakable stripes on a gray hare, as well as a particular pair of blind eyes..

-o-

"Slow down, Carrots!"

Judy just steered the cruiser around the corner, tires screeching and sirens blaring as she sped down the street. While she gripped the steering wheel with determination, Nick on the other paw gripped the door for his dear life. For a second time on this day Nick had to experience what it meant to see one's life flash by his eyes, his eyes tightly shut and hoping they would soon arrive wherever the hell they were driving to. As soon as Judy had received the news that Wolford and Fangmeyer had found Jack and the wolf, they were rushing to the location as fast as they could.

"Wolford!" Judy barked through the radio, her eyes locked onto the streets as her ears fell deaf on Nick's pleads, "What is the location?"

 _"Acacia Road, an alleyway opposite the florist,"_ Wolford responded quickly. Not responding Judy returned the radio to its docking station before she continued her race through Zootopia Downtown.

-o-

Gray ears perked up as Jack suddenly picked up the distinctive sound of police sirens in the distance. Frowning as Jack realized the sounds coming rapidly closer, he spun around to look at Cypher, the same alarming expression being reflected by the wolf. Quickly grabbing his sword, Cypher was about to make a run for it with Jack, but it was already too late. They barely made it out of the alley as two police cruisers with flashing sirens cut them off, the officers out of the vehicles and aiming their weapons at the two hooded figures. Cypher and Jack froze and raised their paws.

Much to Nick's relief the cruiser soon came to a more or less violent halt as it swerved onto the curb, the tires screeching as Judy floored the brakes before she wordlessly jumped out of the vehicle. A few seconds later Nick's ears picked up another screech as Wolford and Fangmeyer arrived at the scene, both of them already out of their cruisers and ducking behind the open doors as they aimed their tranquilizers at something or someone. Peeking over the dashboard, Nick could see two hooded mammals with their raised paws standing in the alleyway. His ears perked up as Wolford yelled at the two mammals,

"Freeze! Drop the sword and paws over your head! Hopps," he regarded Judy, the bunny turning around upon hearing the wolf, "Get the hare and the duffel bag away from that wolf, and be careful."

Nick looked over to Judy who had exited the car as she turned around towards the hooded hare who was unmistakably Jack Savage, black stripes on the sides of his head. Many questions as to why Jack was with that wolf started to whirl around her head. Swallowing down her nervousness, she slowly inched closer to the two of them, her eyes never leaving the giant wolf, extremely wary of the dangerous killer.

"Woah, woah," Jack spoke up, causing all of the eyes to focus on him, "Hang on a minute! This is all a big misunderstanding."

"Hopps! Get him away from there, now!" Fangmeyer barked, her tranquilizer aimed squarely at the wolf, who just glared at them. Other than that Cypher appeared rather relaxed and unmoved by the police's presence.

Judy shook her doubts away as she hurried to Jack's side, the bunny grabbing his arm as she tried to pull him away, but Jack refused much to everyone's surprise,

"No! It's all a misunderstanding! He's not dangerous!"

 _Famous last words_ , Nick chuckled internally before he climbed over to the driver seat as he slipped out the vehicle. His emeralds fell on the two mammals in the alleyway, his scrutinizing gaze quickly glancing over them.

_Jack definitely doesn't seem like a hostage. And that wolf doesn't look like he would want to attack us… What the hell is going on?_

Ever since Nick had met that wolf, his instincts always told him to run or that he was a threat to him, for good reason as the wolf had tried to kill him multiple times. But now, as Nick stood behind Judy, gauging the body language of the wolf, his instincts told him something quite different, and Nick's instincts were _always_ right. Even though that wolf was still huge and was most likely able to kill all of them, Nick actually didn't feel threatened. Wary, yes. But not in mortal danger.

 _Judy is going to kill me for this_ , Nick sighed internally as he stepped forward, rounding Judy and putting himself between the two hooded mammals and the officers,

"Alright, everybody lower your weapons!" he said, paws raised placatingly.

"Get the hell out of there, Wilde!" Wolford exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief and fear for the fox.

"Nick! What are you doing? Get away from him!" Judy yelled, fear apparent in her voice.

Ignoring them, Nick turned his head to regard Jack behind him,

"Jack, what the hell is going on? Why the hell are you defending _that wolf_? And you better have a good explanation."

Swallowing nervously, Jack replied, "Cypher."

Eight confused pair of eyes regarded Jack upon his vague answer, "What?"

"Cypher," Jack repeated, glancing to the wolf beside him, "His name is Cypher, and we're working together."

Wide eyes stared at Jack as Nick couldn't believe what he was hearing. Frowning at him, Nick spoke up,

"Jack, what the fuck are you talking about? _Working with him?_ "

"Look Nick, it's complicated, alright?"

"So then explain! I'm sure everyone here is dying to know what this is about!"

Blue eyes glanced over the mammals. All of them were looking at him with expectant eyes as they waited for his explanation as to why he somehow had teamed up with the very same mammal that had tried to kill them. Fangmeyer and Wolford were still aiming their weapons at them, Nick was glaring at him, and Judy's eyes were wide in disbelief as her grip on his arm tightened. Glancing over to Cypher, the wolf just regarding him with his usual unmoved expression. Swallowing nervously, Jack spoke up,

"I can't explain right now, it's complicated."

"Alright, that's it," Fangmeyer interjected as she put away her tranquilizer before pulling out her cuffs, "Wilde, step aside before I am forced to arrest you as well!"

Not waiting for an answer she shoved Nick to the side as she went ahead to cuff the white wolf who stood about a few inches taller than the tigress. Much to her surprise he didn't seem to be resisting as she slapped the cuffs on his wrist behind his back before she proceeded to walk him to the cruiser, Wolford still aiming his weapon at him.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can…" Wolford began to read Cypher his rights as he opened the door for him. But before Cypher could enter the cruiser, a sudden familiar shudder ran down his spine, causing the wolf to spin around with a panicked expression, ignoring the police officers beside him. He knew this feeling. He knew it all to well. And if he was right, then they needed to get out of here immediately.

-o-

While the two officers were arresting Cypher, Jack just stared at the scene unfolding in front of him with wide concerned eyes before Judy tackled and wrapped him into a bone crushing hug.

"Jack!" she exclaimed, "I'm so glad you're okay! Sweet cheese and crackers, you look awful! What did he do to you?"

"Judy," Jack croaked, "Air.. I need air.."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she sheepishly apologized before releasing the hare as he gasped for air, a slight smile on his lips. Upon seeing that she didn't hurt him in any way, Judy let out a sigh of relief and she was about to ask him again before Nick stepped up beside her,

"You do look awful, Stripes," Nick commented, crossing his arms as he smirked down at Jack. Jack huffed amusedly as he replied,

"Geez, it's good to see you too, Nick."

Dropping his smirk, Nick's expression turned serious,

"Jack, I want to know what the hell is going on. You're gone for a few hours and suddenly you're best buddies with your former killer? If I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes earlier, I would've thought this to be a bad joke, but apparently it's not, so please, Jack. What is going on?"

Looking into Nick's eyes, Jack could see anger, confusion, and desperation. He closed his eyes and averted his gaze, sighing in defeat. He had kept this in for too long, his friends were begging for an explanation and honestly, Jack wanted to tell them. He needed to tell them. But as Jack turned back and was about to answer Nick's question, the fox suddenly grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him violently to the side before they crashed onto the ground, a deafening crash behind them.

The air being pushed out of his lungs, Jack looked back up as he stared with wide eyes at the scene in front of his eyes;

The police cruiser from earlier, where Cypher was supposed to be in, was no more. The metal, the hood, the engine, the tire. Nothing was recognizable anymore, the vehicle completely wrecked as Fangmeyer, Wolford, and Cypher were laying sprawled out on the curb, unmoving. But it wasn't the condition of the car that caused Jack, Nick, and Judy to stare at the scene with eyes wide like saucers, their mouths agape, and fear inside their hearts.

Right through the front of the car, penetrating the engine and the rest of the vehicle, was something what seemed like a jet black tree, its thick stump having crashed through and destroyed the cruiser, having seemingly shot out from the back of the alley right through where they were just standing mere moments ago.

Judy couldn't believe what she was seeing. Sure, she had her fair share in seeing spirits and paranormal stuff, but never had she seen something like this before. Her amethyst eyes wandered from the wrecked cruiser to the back of the alley, her eyes roaming the darkness as the light from the streetlights couldn't reach that far. She let out a yelp as the 'tree' suddenly started to move, the three of them quickly hurrying backwards towards Judy's cruiser as they hid behind it, gasping for air and hoping whatever that thing was didn't see them.

"What the heck is that?" Judy whispered, fear and shock apparent in her voice as she regarded the two males beside her. Jack wasn't in any better condition than Judy, his breathing was erratic, heart racing and just as confused. Looking over to Nick, she could see that Nick was in far better control of his emotions. Frowning and clenching his teeth, the fox peeked over the hood of the car as he watched how the black tree started to move slowly, almost looking like a tentacle made out of shadows, retreating back into the dark of the alley. But among the darkness, Nick could see something else. Squinting his eyes, the moonlight faintly illuminated the outlines of what seemed to be a mammal his size. A fox with gray fur.

"What is it?" Judy asked again.

Swallowing, Nick sat back down and regarded the two frightened bunnies beside him, trying to keep his voice steady,

"Bad news."

-o-

Groaning, Wolford tried to pick himself up, hissing sharply as a sudden pain shot through his head. Raising his paw to his head he could feel liquid oozing out from a wound. Clenching his teeth, the wolf opened his eyes as he glanced around the scene, confused as to what had just happened. One moment he was standing behind Fangmeyer arresting that wolf, the next he was on the ground surrounded by glass shards before the world exploded.

But as he opened his eyes looking for a clear answer, only more questions started to swirl around his head as he stared wide eyed at the wreck which was once his cruiser. Something pitch black had penetrated it, completely destroying the vehicle, before it retreated back into the dark alley like a tentacle.

"What the-" Wolford uttered, not being able to grasp the reality of the situation.

_What the hell was that? And where is that wolf? Where is-_

Fangmeyer.

Reality settling in, the wolf shot up from his seated position as he tried to steady himself, his legs still wobbly after the violent impact on the ground.

"Fang! Christine!" he yelled, hoping his partner was alright. His concerned eyes roamed the streets until he soon found the unmoving body of her. Heart skipping a beat, Wolford quickly leapt towards the tigress before he grabbed her by the shoulder.

Much to his relief as soon as he shook her shoulders, she jerked awake, causing Wolford to let out a sigh as he helped his partner sit up,

"What's going- " Fangmeyer stammered before her words died in her throat as soon as her eyes fell on the menacing silver fox standing in the alleyway, a strange aura surrounding him causing a shudder to run down her spine.

Seeing the sudden shock on her face Wolford turned around to see what she was looking at, his heart skipping a beat as the silver fox raised his paw before another black tentacle shot right in their direction. Grabbing Fangmeyer, the two officers rolled out of the way just in time as the tentacle imbedded itself a second time in the wrecked vehicle, piercing through the metals as if it was butter.

Wolford stared in fear at the fox. He looked like a normal fox, a civilian dressed in casual clothing. But Wolford wasn't an idiot. He knew that something with this mammal was very wrong, his instincts screaming at him to run. Police training kicking in, Wolford released his grip on Fangmeyer as he grabbed the tranquilizer he had dropped and aimed it squarely at the fox,

"Freeze!" he barked, his voice trembling. His heart leapt as the silver fox began to move, stepping slowly out of the alley as he neared Wolford,

"I- I said freeze!" he repeated before he pulled the trigger several times, the tranquilizer darts hitting directly the fox. But much to Wolfords dread, the darts just flew right through him as if he was shooting through fog. As if he was shooting at a ghost. Now he knew that something was definitely wrong.

-o-

"Freeze!"

Jerking up from the ground, Cypher wanted to rub the pain from his head but had to quickly realize that his paws were cuffed. Remembering what had happened, the wolf picked himself up as he steadied himself against the building wall, his ruby eyes glancing around the scene. The cruiser was wrecked and Jack, the red fox and the bunny were hiding behind the other cruiser together with his duffel bag.

Damn, they have the weapons, Cypher thought as he frowned, his ruby eyes starting to look for his sword he had dropped earlier. He quickly found it and walked towards it, but halted as Wolford's voice made him stop dead in his tracks,

"I- I said freeze!" Spinning around, Cypher found Wolford beside Fangmeyer. He watched as the wolf pulled the trigger and shooting what seemed to be Mephisto standing in the alley. Ruby eyes widening Cypher was about to sprint towards the cop in order to tackle him out of the way, but he halted in his actions as the darts were seemingly going through Mephisto as if he was nothing but fog.

Frowning confused, Cypher couldn't figure out what was going on, until the realization dawned unto him.

"That isn't Mephisto," he mumbled, "That's his Familiar."

-o-

_What is this? What's going on?_

As much as Fangmeyer tried to understand the situation, she just couldn't get a grasp of reality as she sat on the ground, her eyes watching in fear as Wolford stood in front of her, shooting that silver fox to no avail. No, that thing in the alley was no fox, no mammal. Whatever it was, it was something sinister, and they needed to get away from here immediately.

Picking herself up she grabbed Wolford's shoulder as the wolf froze upon seeing his darts piercing through that demon, not doing anything to stop him.

"Jon," she pulled him out of his paralysis, "We need to get out of here! Quick!"

But before they could do as much as take a step, a sickening sound of flesh being torn apart caused Fangmeyer to stare with wide eyes at Wolford's right shoulder, now with a gaping wound. Blood was oozing out of the hole, the wolf's eyes began to blurry before he collapsed onto the ground.

"Jonathan!" Fangmeyer shrieked, falling onto her knees as she watched her partner's unmoving body lying on the asphalt. Blood continued to ooze from his wound, causing her heart to leap into her throat. Swallowing down her initial shock, the tigress ripped off a piece of her sleeve before pressing it onto his wound, trying to stop the bleeding as her eyes started to get misty upon seeing the broken form of her partner, her friend.

"Everything will be fine, I swear," the tigress choked as she tried to get ahold of herself. Averting her gaze towards the silver fox, she realized much to her horror that he was moving towards them, his steps slowly inching closer. Eyes widening she was about to grab Wolford and make a run for it, as the white wolf she had tried to arrest earlier blocked the fox's way. His back facing the tigress he didn't avert eye contact from the silver fox, who had stopped in his tracks upon seeing the wolf.

"Uncuff me," the wolf grumbled, not turning around to the confused tigress, "NOW!"

Jerking up from her stupor, she was only able to utter a meek, "What?"

"Uncuff me!" the wolf repeated, this time more pressingly as he spun his head around to glare at her.

Her expression hardening, Fangmeyer bared her fangs as she regarded him,

"Do you think I'm dumb? No way I'm uncuffing you! You're one of them!"

The wolf clenched his teeth agitatedly, his eyes quickly glancing towards the silver fox who had started to move again, his paws slowly raising for another attack.

"Listen!" the wolf barked, "If you don't uncuff me now, you will die! Now hurry and get these damn cuffs off of me!"

Clenching her teeth, Fangmeyer hesitated as her paws were still pressing Wolford's wound. Glancing down at the unconscious form of her friend, she knew she had to think fast. His life was at stake. If she didn't do anything soon, they all would most likely die. Looking back at the white wolf, she had no other choice but to trust him.

"Don't make regret this," she growled before releasing the grip on Wolford as she rushed towards the wolf. Pulling out the keys she quickly uncuffed him just in time before the silver fox shot another tentacle towards them, the white wolf swiftly grabbing his sword from the ground as he skillfully parried the tentacle as it bounced off the hardened steel of his sword.

The silver fox stopped in his tracks and Fangmeyer was sure she could see slight surprise in his eyes. The fox's surprise quickly returned to his usual unmoved expression, as he raised both of his paws, and judging by his earlier attacks, Fangmeyer knew shit was about to hit the fan.

Cypher in front of her shook off the cuffs from his wrists as he readied himself to fight against the fox, already in fight stance, sword held high and muscles tensed,

"Tiger cop," Fangmeyer's ears perked up upon hearing him talking to her, "Get him out of here, now."

Without waiting for an answer, the wolf rushed towards the silver fox before the world around Fangmeyer was drowned in darkness.

-o-

"Hurry up, guys!"

Judy's heart was racing as she watched Nick and Jack getting out all of the weapons before reloading them with ammunition. Both of the males were hurriedly unpacking the ammunition before loading the clips into the guns. Glancing over the hood Judy could see how the silver fox wasn't paying attention to them, much to her relief. The silver fox was seemingly only paying attention to Wolford and the others. Her eyes widened as she watched how Wolford tried to shoot the fox with tranquilizer darts, but the darts didn't seem to hit anything as they flew right through the form of the fox. Ducking back behind the cruiser, she breathed heavily as she tried her best to analyze the situation.

_Alright, calm down Judy. Everything's fine. That fox is alone and we're six mammals. He's clearly outnumbered! No reason to panic!_

Glancing back over the hood just in time to watch Wolford being penetrated by a tentacle, as the shadow limb tore through his shoulder before the wolf collapsed onto the ground, Judy's heart threatened to burst out of her chest as she sat back behind the cruiser, her eyes staring blankly at the ground and breathing heavily. Her ears slumped behind her head, she clenched her eyes shut as she heart the bloodcurdling scream of Fangmeyer.

Nick and Jack stopped loading the guns upon hearing the tigress' cry of desperation as they turned their heads. Nick's eyes fell upon the panicking bunny. Dropping the weapons he immediately moved beside her, grabbing her shoulder gently as he tried to calm her down,

"Hey Carrots! Judy," he said, "Calm down, everything's fine! Don't worry, we're going to get out of here just fine, alright?"

Judy nodded quickly as she opened her eyes, regarding the comforting gaze of the fox as her heart calmed down slightly. Upon seeing her calming down Nick spun around and grabbed a loaded gun before he peeked over the hood of the cruiser. His emeralds roamed the streets, looking for the silver fox. Much to his surprise, he was gone. Actually, as Nick glanced around the area, everybody was gone.

_Where are Wolford and Fangmeyer? Where's that wolf?_

His questions were answered as he yelped of surprise upon something crashing onto the hood of the cruiser. The three of them shrieking, they leapt back from the cruiser as their eyes fell on the form of the white wolf lying on the hood of the car. Grunting in pain, Cypher picked himself up as he rubbed his head, his sword still clutched tightly in his other paw.

"Cypher!" Jack exclaimed, "What the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" he grunted, as his eyes fell upon the duffel bag and the weapons on the ground, "Are these loaded?"

Pointing a finger at the weapons, Jack followed his gaze as he looked at the guns. The three of them nodded wordlessly.

"Good," Cypher retorted before jumping off the hood and grabbing a gun. Without another word the wolf rounded the cruiser as he started sprinting into the alleyway. The three of them widened their eyes upon seeing what seemed like dozens of tentacles shooting out of the alley, the white wolf skillfully dodging each of them while he sliced his sword through some, while shooting other shadow limbs with the gun.

"Hopps!" Hearing her name, the bunny spun around to see Fangmeyer running towards them, the slumped body of Wolford in her arms, "We need to get away, Wolford needs medical attention, right now!"

Hearing the usually so stoic and strong willed tigress in such a desperate manner stunned Judy, but the bunny quickly opened the cruiser's door before hopping in the driver's seat. Fangmeyer followed suit and opened the back door before laying Wolford's body gently onto the seat. She herself entered the cruiser, laying her partner's head onto her lap as she continued to press the piece of cloth onto his wound, silently praying that he will be fine.

While the tigress was taking care of Wolford, Judy watched as Nick and Jack began to load their weapons as they inched closer towards the alley, both of them skillfully shooting at the tentacles and rendering them useless for a short while. Cypher was in the middle of the fight, relentlessly slicing and shooting the dozens of tentacles as they tried to either crush or pierce him. Mephisto's Familiar continued to attack him, not leaving him any opening as the Familiar attacked the now three mammals. While Cypher was the Familiar's main focus, two or three limbs started to attack Nick and Jack, but the two friends quickly defeated the limbs with their guns as they slowly inched closer.

Smirking, Cypher was suddenly confident that they could win this fight. While Mephisto's Familiar was incredibly strong and agile, Cypher had enough training to fight against such an enemy. Add Nick and Jack to it together with plenty of blessed weapons, Cypher was sure that they could defeat the Familiar, at least for now. But as Cypher continued to dodge and parry the onslaught of attacks, he failed to notice a tentacle creeping up on him and grabbing him by his leg, causing him to stumble slightly before he sliced off the shadow limb, glaring at the now smiling Familiar. While Cypher had stumbled for only a second, it gave the Familiar a huge opening, allowing it to shoot two arrow-like limb squarely at Cypher. The wolf had barely the time to block it with his sword, but the immense power behind the tentacle caused him to be hurled out of the alleyway, crashing into Jack as the two mammals landed heavily onto the ground, just beside the cruiser. The other tentacle was already aiming for Nick, barely missing the fox as it grazed his arm and causing him to avert his attention from the other tentacles, another opening for the Familiar.

While Nick was distracted from his injury, another tentacle grabbed his foot before it pulled him violently to the ground, Nick falling heavily on his back as the Familiar started to pull him towards him as Nick struggled to get free.

"Nick!" Upon seeing the fox being pulled deeper into the alley, Judy immediately jumped from her seat and out of the cruiser, ignoring the tigress as she rushed towards the alley to help Nick. Jumping over the stunned Cypher and Jack, she instinctively grabbed the wolf's sword. The relatively huge weapon looked ridiculous in her tiny paws, and Judy had to put all of her strength into her upper body to lift the sword. At least she was able to move with it as she sprinted into the alley towards the two foxes.

Meanwhile Nick tried not to end up as a kebab as several tentacles tried to pierce him, the fox on the ground desperately dodging the limbs the best he could. But as hard as he tried, rolling from one side to another, some tentacles still managed to hit or graze him, tearing his shirt apart and ripping a few strands of fur out. Praying to any higher power to save him, the fox stared in horror at the gray fox in front of him, smiling menacingly as his blind eyes stared blankly at nothing at all.

 _This is how it ends_ , Nick thought bitterly as he closed his eyes, ready to be riddled with holes as he suddenly stopped moving. The pull from the tentacle had stopped altogether. Opening his eyes he stared disbelievingly at the gray bunny holding a ridiculously large sword in both her paws as she had cut off the limb that had grabbed him by the foot.

"Judy," he stammered, "You saved my life."

"Yes, you dumb fox," she yelled, fear in her eyes, "Now get your tail out of here!"

Grabbing the fox's paw the two of them ran out of the dark alley as they dodged several tentacles, grazing both of them as Cypher and Jack were already standing beside the cruiser with Fangmeyer and the still knocked out Wolford. Right as Judy and Nick exited the alley, Jack grabbed a flashbang from the duffel bag and hurled it towards the gray fox. Immediately a deafening bang and a blinding flash of light emanated from the alleyway as the four of them hurriedly entered the cruiser, Judy starting the engine and flooring the gas pedal. Tires screeching they swerved onto the streets before speeding far away from the alleyway, leaving a trail of destruction behind.

As the cruiser slowly disappeared down the street, a silver fox surrounded by darkness exited the alleyway, his blind eyes staring blankly at the horizon as his ears perked from the roaring engine that faded away in the distance. Nose twitching, the fox suddenly picked up a sudden scent, a scent he had noticed earlier as he had pierced through the clothes of the red fox. Glancing down onto the ground, he slowly stepped towards the object before picking it up.

It was a wallet.

-o-

"Holy shit! What the fuck was that?"

Jack's breath was hitching as he was hyperventilating. He now sat between Nick and Judy in the front of the cruiser as he shared a seat with the fox, their wide eyes occasionally glancing into the mirrors and windows to make sure that they weren't being followed.

"That was the mammal that has your wife," Cypher answered lackadaisically as the wolf sheathed his sword before leaning back into his seat, "Or at least his projection."

"What are you talking about?" Fangmeyer hissed as she glared at the wolf. She still held the unconscious Wolford in her lap while they sat beside the white wolf. Cypher just threw her a bored glance before answering,

"That fox back there wasn't Mephisto," all of them except Jack raised their brows questioningly upon hearing the name, "It was merely his Familiar. A very powerful one."

"A- alright, I'm not gonna pretend I understand anything you're saying," Fangmeyer stammered before returning her gaze to the gray wolf in her lap, gently stroking his facial fur as she continued to keep pressure on his wound, feeling the blood still oozing from his wound,

"But we have more pressing matters right now. Hopps, get us to the Zootopia General, ASAP!"

Nodding curtly, Judy floored the gas and turned on the sirens as the six mammals sped down the road towards the hospital.

-o-

Meanwhile, Mephisto leaned back into his office chair as the silver fox closed his eyes. Letting out a sigh, the elder fox clenched his fists slightly as he looked back at the fight. He hadn't expected Cypher to team up with the police, and most importantly, he hadn't expected them to have blessed weapons. Apparently he had underestimated them. But what unsettled him was the question as to how those mammals, the police especially, were able to bless their weapons, how they knew of such spells.

But the fox had his suspicions, especially after finding a certain wallet of a red fox earlier.

"Nicholas P. Wilde," he mumbled to himself, "You're John's offspring, aren't you?"

John Wilde. The mammal once inside his ranks, a very honorable and trustworthy registrar and archivist, at least he had thought so. The fox that was responsible for burning down the archives and with it all of the spells. But apparently John hadn't destroyed all of the archive. If his son, this Nicholas Wilde was able to summon Familiars and bless weapons, then he must have learned it somewhere. It was impossible that he had learned it from John, as Mephisto had killed him the same night he burned down the archives. So there must have been some other source. Maybe John didn't destroy everything, maybe he kept some spells for himself after burning the archive down. Maybe some kind of journal.

Smirking menacingly, the fox opened his blind eyes as he stared blankly at the ceiling, mumbling to himself and causing the other mammal inside his office to perk her ears. Blue eyes stared shocked and in fear at the gray fox upon hearing the name of her brother,

"Nicholas Wilde, we're going to have a lot of fun."


	19. Confessions

_"The truth is rarely pure and never simple."_

_-Oscar Wilde_

_Beep….. Beep….. Beep_

Her ear twitched annoyedly as the tigress tried to ignore the constant beeping sound from one of the many machines surrounding the unmoving body of her partner, to no avail. But she was way too tired to do anything about it. Laying her ears flat upon her head, Fangmeyer watched wordlessly how Wolfords chest slowly rose and fell as he rested on the hospital bed. Since having arrived at Zootopia General she hadn't left the side of her friend and she didn't plan on changing that soon. She needed to be here. She needed to be there if he wakes up.

 _When he wakes up_ , Fangmeyer reminded herself, slumping in her seat beside the bed as she averted her gaze from the wolf towards the ceiling. Letting out a weary sigh the tigress did her best to think positive. The doctors had told her that even though Wolford had lost a lot of blood, he would recover quickly. The wound would be a huge impairment for Wolford as he would have to rest and let it heal over several months.

Smiling wistfully, Fangmeyer returned her gaze towards her friend,

"Looks like I'm going to do the paperwork all by myself, huh?"

No answer. Wolford remained quiet, his eyelids tightly shut while the mask on his snout pumped air into his lungs. It wasn't like Fangmeyer really expected him to say something, but she couldn't deny that there was a small sparkle of hope deep inside of her that just wanted nothing more than her partner to wake up and tell her that everything's alright.

Groaning exasperatedly, the tigress shook the depressing thoughts away as her eyes again roamed his still body.

"You know," she began, a little smile on her lips, "You were right. I did ask you out earlier. I just, heh. Didn't have the guts to tell you.. Can you imagine? Christine Fangmeyer, officer of the ZPD who is able to take out two rhinos at the same time, but is too big of a wuss to ask you out on a date.."

She let out a chuckle before her smile slightly dropped, "Maybe this is a sign. A really messed up way of the universe telling me that it would've been a mistake. I mean, look at you," she waved a paw at him, as her eyes started to get misty, the tigress choking on her own words,

"You were in danger, you protected me. And all I did was just sitting there, watching how you were dying…

"I was supposed to be your partner, supposed to keep you safe! And now look what happened!"

The tigress was sobbing at this point, not caring if anyone outside from this room could hear her. She didn't care. Nothing mattered more than the wellbeing of her partner, her friend. Scooting closer to the bed, Fangmeyer grasped Wolford's paw gently as she regarded the wolf with tearful eyes,

"If I had uncuffed that wolf earlier, maybe everything would have ended differently.."

She frowned as she thought about the white wolf.

"What was his name again?" she voiced her question, her mind barely registering that she was talking to an unresponsive wolf, "Cycle? No, Cy.. Cypher! Yes, Cypher. Heh, you should have seen him. The way he fought that… that… Honestly, I don't know what that thing was and I don't really want to know. All I know is that I want that damn thing to pay for what it has done.. For what it has done to you.."

She lifted her other paw towards his face as she gently stroked it, while her other paw tightened her grip on his slightly smaller paw. It broke her heart to see him in this condition.

"I promise I'm going to make this right," she said determined, "I'm going to make that monster pay, no matter what!"

-o-

"Damn it, where is my wallet?"

Gray ears swiveled from the door away towards the grumbling red fox beside her as Judy sat in the waiting room, Nick to her right and Jack to her left. The fox was currently tapping himself up and down for what seemed like the tenth time since they have arrived at the hospital.

"I'm sure you just left it in the cruiser or anything," Judy tried to calm the fox down. Letting out a sigh in defeat, the fox slumped his shoulders before turning a tired gaze towards the bunny.

"You think so?"

"I'm positive," Judy smiled, "Don't worry, dumb fox."

Grumbling, the fox tried to appear annoyed, but failed as a smile of his own tugged on his lips. Turning away Nick tried in vain to appear hurt. Clearly seeing him smiling the bunny's grin broadened before she turned around to regard the other bunny beside her.

"How are you keeping up, Jack?"

Judy noticed that the striped hare hadn't said anything since their arrival, appearing rather distracted as his eyes stared blankly at the floor, his ears droopy. Seemingly not having heard her, Judy bumped him with her elbow, causing Jack to jerk up from his mullings before spinning around to look surprisedly into concerned amethyst eyes,

"Huh?" he muttered.

"Are you alright? You seem a little bit… distracted," Judy asked.

Licking his lips, Jack averted his gaze back towards the floor as he fidgeted in his seat.

"I was just thinking. About Skye," Jack started, a frown on his face, "It's just… that fox back there, that attacked us. You all saw what he was capable of. How insanely strong he was and.. what he did to _him_ ," Jack rambled, waving a paw towards Wolford's room.

"How can I be sure that Skye is alive? How can she be safe if she's in the paws of such a monster?"

"Jack," Judy tried as she put a paw on his shoulder, "I'm sure Skye is alright. After all, Cypher had said it, right?"

Hearing a snort, the bunnies turned around to regard the fox. Nick had crossed his arms as he looked at them skeptically,

"You don't really trust that guy, right Carrots?"

"Why shouldn't I?" she retorted, raising a questioning brow.

"Come on, Carrots," Nick huffed, "You're smarter than this. You're not seriously trusting that guy after he had spent like the last couple of days hunting and trying to kill us?"

"That _guy_ , saved us! Without him Wolford would be dead and we would be most likely dead as well!"

"He's a lunatic, Judy!" Nick exclaimed, "He most likely just saved himself! Who's to say he did it to save you? Just because he saved you coincidentally doesn't change the fact that he literally tried to kill us! He can't be trusted!"

The two of them glared at each other as they breathed heavily after the exchange, both of them not breaking the eye contact as they stared each other down. Jack on the other paw watched their fight with wide eyes as he slowly scooted away from the two bickering mammals. After a while Judy spoke up, her voice lowered and her expression slightly softening,

"You saved me several times, Nick. And I do trust you. Why can't I trust him if he did the same thing?"

Dropping his glare, Nick opened his mouth to retort, but upon seeing the determination in her eyes, Nick knew that discussing this topic wouldn't change anything. Closing his mouth, Nick let out a sigh as he turned his eyes away. Eventually the fox huffed tiredly,

"It's not the same, Judy. I saved you because I wanted to. Him saving us was a coincidence," he raised a paw to halt Judy as she was about to retort, "Listen me out. I know there isn't a thing I can tell you to change your mind. But at least consider what I'm saying, alright?

"I don't want you to get hurt, Judy."

Heat rising into her face, the bunny stared in awe at the fox before she smiled at him. Hearing the usually so stoic and cynic fox talking in such a caring manner caused all kinds of feelings to flutter inside of her chest as the two mammals continued to stare at each other. Eventually Nick broke the eye contact, coughing awkwardly and desperately changing the topic,

"Heh, I.. uhm, where is he, by the way? I haven't seen that wolf since Wolfy was brought here."

"He went to get some water. I think he'll be back soon," Jack answered, an amused smile on his lips as he had watched the two mammals' conversation. He gave Nick a meaningful look before he turned away, causing the fox to grumble and avert his eyes.

"What about you, Stripes," Nick spoke up, "How come you trust him so much?"

Dropping his smile, Jack looked away as his fidgeting intensified, the hare barely able to sit calmly on his chair as his eyes darted around nervously,

"I just do. I have to."

"What are you talking about?" Judy asked, intrigued by the hare's strange behavior. Eventually Jack sighed as he answered reluctantly,

"Well, I might have made a deal with him."

"What kind of deal, Jack?" Nick pressed with a quizzical brow, "Come on, spit it out Stripes. What have you done?"

"Alright alright," Jack sighed, "We agreed... that… if we give him the journal he'll help us rescuing Skye."

"You have what?!" Nick exclaimed, completely shell-shocked by Jack's revelation.

"Listen Nick, I know it sounds risky but-"

"Risky? You think it sounds risky? You think giving a Magnolia the deepest darkest secrets and spells that he could kill all of us with, sounds _risky_?"

"I know it's probably the dumbest thing I've ever done!" Jack retorted, "But please trust me on this! Cypher is the only one here who definitely knows where Skye is and who that Mephisto guy is! We have to trust him in this matter, he is our only chance in finding Skye."

"What gives you the right to just think that you can hand him MY journal? You don't have any say in this matter, Jack!"

"I don't have the right? My fucking wife is missing Nick! I have all the damn rights to do this and if it means to give him that fucking journal then so be it!"

"You-"

"EVERYBODY CALM DOWN!"

The two angry males were suddenly interrupted by Judy as the bunny put herself in between the two as the three of them had left their seats during their fight. Judy was glaring at her two friends as they were seemingly about to throw some punches. Breathing heavily from the fight, the two males continued to glare at each other, but decided to remain silent as Judy tried to de-escalate the situation,

"You two need to calm down! We're all tired and beyond exhausted, this is all wearing us down. Nick," she turned to chide the fox, "You of all mammals have to understand the gravity of the situation. His wife is missing Nick. Your sister.."

"How-" Nick asked wide eyed upon hearing this, but again he is interrupted by Judy as she raised a paw, causing him to close his mouth,

"Doesn't matter, Nick," she continued softly, "Jack was trying to do the right thing, he wants to help. Try to understand that this is possibly the best opportunity for us. There won't be another chance, and at this point we have to take what we get."

Turning around she regarded Jack, "And you, the next time you decide to make such a risky and obviously dangerous deal, talk to us first. You're not alone in this Jack. We're with you all the way, no matter what."

Smiling Judy watched as both males averted their gaze, turning to each other as their expressions softened. Her grin broadened upon seeing the two of them smiling sheepishly at each other as they were apparently making amends completely wordlessly. Eventually Nick dropped his smile as he regarded Jack with a questioning gaze, not scrutinizing yet serious,

"Still, I would like to know how you can be so sure about Cypher. What the hell happened between you two?"

Sighing, Jack crossed his arms as he answered, "You guys tend to misinterpret his actions. I don't blame you, I did too. But what Cypher is doing has ulterior motives. I've heard his story, and I honestly find it difficult not to believe him after hearing it."

"What story?" Judy asked, seemingly intrigued by the mysterious wolf's past.

"I can't tell," Jack answered apologetically, "It's not my place to say."

"I'm sorry, but you don't really expect me to just trust him because of some sob story. Who knows, he could've made it up for all we know," Nick retorted, crossing his arms.

"No Nick," Jack sighed, slowly growing tired by Nick's skepticism, "You don't understand."

"Exactly, I don't. So please explain."

"You just can't make up a story like Cypher's," Jack retorted, remembering the vulnerability he saw inside the wolf's eyes as he told his story how he lost his love, how genuine he sounded as he depicted all of his pain, "The things he told me, the way he talked.. No way that it was fake. And the fact that Cypher would share these things, things on such an emotional level you can't imagine, that's the reason why I trust him."

Nick and Judy just stared at him doubtfully as they listened, even though Judy did appear more willing to trust Cypher. He couldn't tell them the story, but Judy couldn't deny that everything Jack had told her didn't sound genuine. Jack wasn't dumb, and if Jack thinks Cypher could be trusted, so would she.

Nick on the other paw wasn't as satisfied with Jack's answer. Internally, Nick was already tending towards trusting Cypher, at least a little bit. He still held resentment for the white wolf after what he had done to him and his friends. After all he lost his apartment, his tailor shop, and his damn finger because of that wolf. He had all the reasons to distrust him.

But that wasn't what was on Nick's mind. No, something else dissatisfied him. Something he had already addressed earlier on,

"Maybe you should do the same thing," Nick voiced his concern, causing Jack to tense up as the bunny began to glare at the fox,

"You really want to do this now, Nick?" Jack asked, his voice tense from uncertainty. Looking at both males quizzically, Judy couldn't make sense out of the exchange. What was Nick insinuating? Was Jack hiding something?

"Jack, what is he talking about?" she asked, causing Jack to falter under the two expectant gazes.

"What are you hiding, Jack?" Nick asked, before he softened his expression, "We're friends Jack. You know that we'll be there for you, no matter what. So why don't you trust us with this?"

Jack didn't answer, instead he averted his gaze nervously, frowning as his eyes stared blankly at the ground. He wasn't ready for this. Hell, he didn't think he would ever be ready for this. But Nick was right. They were his friends, his family. And if he couldn't tell them, then who else?

Eventually Jack sighed as he returned his gaze towards the two expectant mammals, his friends and family he would die for. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jack moved to take his seat, the other two quickly following suit as they continued to wordlessly stare at Jack, patiently waiting for him to speak,

"It's a long story," Jack began, "So this might take a while."

"Take your time, Jack," Judy said, a warm smile on her lips as she put a paw on his arm. Appreciating her compassion, Jack readied himself as he was about to expose his whole past, his history, and most likely his own demise,

"First off, my name isn't Jack Savage," he started, causing both Judy and Nick to raise a brow before he locked eyes with Judy,

"My real name is Jacob Hopps…"

-o-

_14 years ago_

_It was only supposed to for a few months. He didn't want any of this. All he wanted was to be independent, to make his own money, and to make himself happy. But as Jacob had sat in the park freezing himself almost to death, he knew it had been a moment of weakness. He was hungry, he was cold, he hadn't had a job in weeks and his wallet was just as empty as his stomach. So what choice did he have? After all, this panther had a point, he did have a good job offer. So who was Jacob to deny such a generous offer?_

_It was to no one's surprise when Jacob had decided to call the mysterious panther a few hours later. The call was curt, only covering the essential things like time and location. Not even names were exchanges as they were seemingly seen as irrelevant. Not that Jacob would complain. He didn't care about courtness or anything like that right now, all he wanted was to get himself a livelihood._

_So here he was, sitting in an old diner somewhere in the Rainforest District, the rain outside of the building pelting like a never ending storm as he waited for the panther to enter the diner, his blue eyes nervously glancing towards the door every time the bell above it announced a new customer. But it was never the mammal he expected. Two hours passed as Jacob fidgeted inside the booth. It was already evening as the sky began to darken as Jacob continued to wait, his arms wrapped around his body as a sudden female voice spoke up, causing him to turn around and avert his eyes from the door towards a arctic vixen standing by the table,_

_"Coffee?" she asked, a coffee pot in her paws as she regarded the anxious bunny. But all he could do was to just stare, his eyes seemingly under the spell of her beauty as he looked into her stunningly sapphire eyes. Her fur was immaculately white and he thought if he would stare any longer at her he would be blinded. She was an angel, and he couldn't look away from her halo. Jacob needed a moment to tear his eyes away from the vixen as he noticed how long he had been staring, the bunny stammering awkwardly as he fidgeted with his paws,_

_"Eh.. uhm.. I- Yeah! Yeah, please," he stuttered as he tried the best he could not to look at her. The vixen on the other hand was beyond amused as she watched how the bunny adorably squirmed under her gaze. Smiling warmly she proceeded to pour him a mug of coffee before setting it gently on the table in front of the bunny._

_"If you need anything, just call, alright sweetie?" she said, sending the stunned bunny a wink and a smile before she turned around to attend to the other customers._

_A flush of heat started to creep up to his ears as Jack followed the slim form of the vixen seemingly gliding elegantly through the room, her fluffy white tail swinging to and fro. He had never seen a vixen before that was so enchanting. Sure, there were some foxes back in Bunnyburrow, but Jacob had never really found any interest in them. To be honest, Jacob had never found any interest in predators in general, but his mind quickly changed as soon as he laid eyes upon the white furred beauty, his eyes so focussed on her that he failed to notice the black furred panther entering the diner before striding over to his booth._

_Sliding silently into the booth, the panther raised a brow as the bunny didn't seem to notice him, his eyes still locked with something behind him. Turning his head and looking over his shoulder, a smug grin spread across his face as the panther realized what the bunny was looking at before he turned back around to regard the bunny, finally speaking up in a slightly hushed tone,_

_"Quite the beauty, eh?"_

_The panther watched in amusement as the bunny finally jerked up in surprise as he averted his gaze from the vixen towards the grinning panther. Visibly flustered, the bunny fidgeted in his seat as he tried to glare at him, but the panther found it rather… adorable._

_"Are yo-"_

_"I'm here because you called," the panther interrupted him, "It seems, that you have changed your mind regarding my job offer."_

_His voice was still smooth as silk. It was unsettling._

_"Y- Yeah. I have decided to accept your offer."_

_The panther just smiled for a moment before he answered, leaning his body forward so he could speak in a hushed voice,_

_"You don't decide anything, Mr. Jacob. We have decided to choose you because you are most fitted for this position, and you will accept."_

_Jacob's glare intensified, but he thought about what the panther was insinuating. Obviously this wasn't the kind of job offer that would be considered legal. Jacob didn't need to be a genius to know that all of this was kind of shady, and that these mammals he was talking to were most likely dangerous. The way this panther talked about this job raised a lot of red flags, and Jacob was tempted to just decline and look elsewhere for a job._

_But as Jacob sat in front of the menacing panther, he wasn't so sure anymore if he was able to decline._

_"What if I refuse?"_

_"You already know who we are," the panther whispered, his eyes glinting dangerously, "If you refuse, you will become a loose end we have to take care of, do you understand Mr. Jacob?"_

_"If secrecy is of such an importance to you, why even bother offering me this job?"_

_"If I understand correctly, you ran away from your home, right?" That caused Jacob to widen his eyes as the panther just smiled, "No one knows where you are, or who you are. You are new to this city, have barely any contacts. So if you were to happen to disappear, who would care? One bunny less in this city. I doubt there will be any fuss about it, right? After all, aren't there millions of your likes to spare?"_

_Jacob had to suppress the urge to just jump onto the table and sock that damned panther in his snout. Grinding his teeth, the bunny instead decided to just glare at the panther as he continued to talk,_

_"So let me make things clear. You have accepted the offer, so that's it. What you will be doing next, is to drink your coffee, give that pretty vixen a nice tip, and then you will leave this diner and meet me in the alleyway."_

_Not waiting for an answer the panther left the booth before he swiftly strode towards the door, leaving the diner. The bell above the door continued to ring a few seconds, the sound echoing through the room and announcing a leaving customer. But for Jacob, it was the coup de grace of the life he used to know._

_Taking a steadying the breath, the bunny clenched his eyes shut as he tried to come to the reality of the situation. There was no going back now. He had done what was necessary. He had done it to survive. No one could judge him for that right? Besides, what could be the worst thing? He was supposed to be an accountant, just handling the money and some figures, right?_

_Opening his eyes, the bunny quickly grabbed his mug before downing the content, throwing the last couple bills he had onto the table and leaving the diner in a rush, not looking back as he steered squarely for the alleyway beside the diner where he would find his new life._

-o-

_Two years later_

_It was not just a simple accountant job. Jacob had to come quickly to the realization that he wasn't just handling money for an underground gang. No, he was a money launderer, a middleman for deals, and a courier. Accounting was just a euphemism, a damn lie._

_Over the last two years the bunny had experienced things a bunny like him was never supposed to see. He had seen mammals being murdered, he had seen deals going wrong, he barely escaped several fights and escalations. He broke more laws than he could count, and he was a damn accountant._

_But the bunny also had to realize that he didn't have a choice at this point. He was too deep. Even only indirectly, he had blood on his paws. He was a criminal, part of an underground gang that killed and maimed. And if he wasn't willing to die, he didn't have a damn choice but to stay and continue._

_But there would always be a point in a mammal's life when the aqueducts breach, when everything would be too much to handle. There was only so much Jacob Hopps could take, and what did Jacob do to get out of a situation he thought wasn't the right thing for him?_

_He ran away._

_It was just an idea. A ridiculous notion he daydreamt of when he had the time, when he was away from the crimes. But as time passed by, the idea became more and more tempting. The bunny slowly started to forget the consequences and a plan formulated in his head. Every free second the bunny would get, he would think about his plan on escaping this hellhole. Any time the other gang members wouldn't pay him any attention, he would perfect his plan. Jacob started to stop caring if he would die. He just wanted to get out._

_Then one night, it was time. Jacob wasn't sure how he managed to do it, but everything went by like a rush. Jacob barely acknowledged anything but the adrenaline in his veins as he managed to escape the estates. He ran and ran. Didn't care about direction or location, all he cared about was to get away from them as far as possible. He ran until his muscles burnt, he ran until his lungs collapsed, he ran until his mind went blank. Jacob was sure that for a moment he had returned to his savage ways. He was free. He had escaped._

_Much to the bunny's surprise, he never saw the Magnolias again. No one came after him. They weren't looking for him. Not that he would complain. But the bunny just couldn't get rid of the paranoia. Wherever he would go, he would glance over his shoulders. He stopped trusting mammals, always fearing that they could secretly be Magnolia members. The fear never went away. Jacob slowly felt like he never escaped at all._

_But as the months passed by, his paranoia slowly retreated. Fear started to turn into caution, until Jacob was finally able to live normally again. Well, as normal as possible after what he had seen. The bunny decided he didn't want to end up on the streets again. He wanted a real job with steady income. He wanted to study, to have a diploma. So after going through what seemed like onslaught of paperwork and good connections he had managed to get over the years of working on the streets, the bunny got himself into a local community college._

_It seemed like Jacob was again on the right track._

-o-

"..or so I thought," Jack sighed as he leaned back into his chair. He didn't need to look up to know that his friends were more than just surprised by his past.

Judy was barely able to come to reality that Jack was in fact her missing brother she thought she had lost. Her heart broke as she listened to the story of her brother, tears welling in her eyes as she couldn't believe what her littermate had to go through just because he felt misunderstood inside his own home.

"Oh God.." she sobbed as she inched closer to Jack, "Jack.. Jacob.. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I couldn't be a better sister."

"What happened next?" Nick asked, his eyes laced with compassion and sympathy as put an arm around the crying bunny. Jack just stared sadly at his sister before he averted his eyes, continuing in a strained voice. Talking about his past was both physically and emotionally draining,

"I went to college. I met Skye, we fell in love, and I graduated. I quickly got my degree and thought I could finally have a normal life again."

"Wait wait," Nick interrupted him, "Wasn't it kind of dangerous to just go to college while knowing that you kind of have a bounty on your head? Didn't you have any worries that they might have found you?"

"I did, and for a while I was actually really paranoid that exactly that would happen," Jack answered, crossing his arms, "Which is why I didn't go to college as Jacob Hopps, but as Jacob Skippson. I changed my last name in order to stay as low as possible."

"Did Skye know any of this?" Judy asked after having calmed down considerably as she unconsciously leaned into the fox's arms.

"She didn't," Jack answered, "She had no idea. But as our relationship went on I couldn't keep any more secrets from her. I wanted to tell her. But I hesitated, and I know now that that decision was a grave mistake."

"What do you mean? What happened?" the fox asked, intrigued by what Jack might be insinuating.

Jack sighed before he clenched his eyes shut. This chapter of his life was by far the worst, and the bunny had difficulties coping with it, even now. But opening his eyes and glancing back at his friends, seeing the supportive and sympathetic look in their eyes, Jack knew for sure that he could trust them. No matter what.

"Well, it happened shortly after graduation. Skye and me, we had just married and we're just moving into our new apartment in Downtown. I had just been hired as an accountant and Skye had her diner. Life was good. I thought I had left my past behind. But, heh," he chuckled mirthlessly before his smile dropped, a grim expression on his face, "What goes around comes around, right?"

"What happened, Jack?" Nick pressed further in a soft voice as he saw how difficult his was for his friend. Jack looked back towards the fox as he answered, his voice low,

"My past happened, Nick. It wasn't over yet.."

-o-

_12 years ago_

_"Hurry up, Jack! The movie's starting!"_

_The bunny's ears perked up upon hearing the sweet voice of his wife as he stood in the kitchen, an empty bow in front of him on the counter as he turned his head to look over his shoulder._

_"Then pause it! The popcorn ain't ready yet!"_

_Jack quickly poured the popcorn into it before the bunny grabbed it and rushed out of the room just to jump into the couch beside the arctic vixen. Skye pecked him on his cheek before she snatched the bowl out of his paws, "Thanks, sweetie."_

_"Hey, that's for at least two mammals!" he exclaimed as he tried to get a bowl back, but Skye quickly pulled the bowl away so he couldn't reach it. The bunny began to pout as she retorted,_

_"Maybe two bunnies. I'm twice as big as you, that means I get to eat twice as much popcorn, right?"_

_She gave him a smirk before she threw a pawful of the delicious treat into her mouth, chewing satifiyingly as she stared at Jack with half-lidded eyes._

_Jack just harrumphed as he returned to his seat as the movie began to play on their TV, the only sound inside their apartment aside from Skye's chewing beside his ear. The bunny knew she did it on purpose to get a reaction from him, and Jack was tempted to give her one. Not because he had a short fuse, but because he loved to hear her laugh. He was about to glare at her jokingly, but was quickly halted in his actions as something incredibly fluffy suddenly wrapped itself around him, a flush of heat creeping up into his ears as Skye's tail flicked his twitching nose._

_"Skye!" he hissed, the inside of his ears turning pink, "Stop that!"_

_"Oh come on," she barked in between her giggles, "You're charmed, admit it."_

_Crossing his arms the bunny tried to appear angry, but quickly lost the battle as a smile crept onto his lips, the bunny beginning to lean into her._

_"Alright, maybe I am.." he began as his eyes flicked to his right, falling upon the bowl full of delicious popcorn, right in arms reach. Licking his lips, the bunny slowly crept closer towards it, his exes occasionally flicking up at the vixen who was currently focused on the movie. Seeing his opening he shot out an arm to grab the popcorn, just to grasp air as the vixen pulled the bowl away, a smirk on her face as she continued to watch the movie,_

_"Nice try, hun," she taunted, her tail tightening around his waist, "But I think you had enough sweets for today."_

_"What are you talking about?" he asked, raising a brow, "I haven't had any popcorn, not even once."_

_"I'm not talking about the popcorn," she answered with a husky voice as she turned around to face him, her snout brushing his cheek, "You're going to get plenty of dessert later, don't worry."_

_His face heated up instantly and Jack feared he would turn into jelly as he realized what his wife was insinuating. Turning to look at her, he watched how she turned back to the TV with an infuriating smirk and was about to retort as a sudden knock on the door interrupted him. Skye didn't avert her attention from the movie as she spoke up in between shoving popcorn into her mouth,_

_"Can you get that please?"_

_Huffing, Jack jumped from the couch and moved towards the door as he wondered who would visit them at such a time of the day. It was way past nine in the evening, the sky already pitch black. The bunny tried to recall if he had forgotten some meeting or a visiting friend, but he couldn't remember ever having organized something tonight. Brushing it off that it was probably just one of the neighbors asking for some favor, he swiftly crossed the room and opened the door,_

_"Yes, hel- "_

_Jack's words died in his throat as his blue eyes widened upon seeing who was standing there in the hallway. A mammal he had thought he would never see again. A mammal he had thought he had left behind. His blood froze in his veins as the bunny stared in horror at the sleek black fur, the lazy smile and the dangerously glinting eyes he had grown to hate, fangs flashing as he opened his mouth, voice smooth as silk,_

_"Good evening, Mr. Jacobs."_


	20. Team, Assemble

_"If you don't like the way I live my life, why don't you take it,  
In all my past lives I've laughed in my killer's faces." -Meechy Darko, God Blessed The Dead_

-o-

_12 years ago_

_"I hope I am not interrupting anything important?"_

_Glinting predatory eyes were regarding Jack dangerously as the black furred panther stood in the doorway in a rather laxed manner, paws in his pocket and head slightly tilted as he waited for the stunned bunny's answer. Jack on the other paw had lost his composure completely. The bunny was trembling, his eyes wide and mouth agape in disbelief, his stomach churning as fear and unease began to settle into his small body. Jack's mind was running wild as he gripped the doorknob tightly until his knuckles turned white._

_He had no idea how this mammal knew of his whereabouts, how this panther knew exactly where he lived. Judging my his relaxed stance and nonchalant greeting, Jack knew that the panther had found exactly what he was looking for, and he seemingly knew exactly where he would find it. It had been more than two years now, and Jack had thought he had left his past behind, he thought he was free from the sins he had witnessed. But it was well known that karma was a bitch. There had been always a tiny part inside of Jack's mind that knew that he would have to pay for what he had done sooner or later. And now it was time to pay off._

_Glancing over his shoulder, Jack could see that Skye was seemingly way too focussed on the movie to notice his situation. The vixen's eyes and ears were solely directed at the TV, seemingly oblivious to Jack's dilemma. Proceeding to rather do outside of his home and away from his wife, Jack swiftly stepped out into the hallway before he silently closed the door behind him, his eyes not leaving the smirking panther for even a single second. As soon as Jack was sure Skye couldn't hear them, he glared at the panther before he turned and started to walk down the hallway, the panther following him closely. It was a tense silence, at least for Jack, as the two mammals silently descended the stairs until they exited the building, the two of them stepping out onto the cold night air._

_Making sure they were alone as Jack glanced around the empty street, he spun around to glare at the panther as he hissed in a dangerously low tone, "What the hell are you doing here?"_

_"Isn't it obvious?" the panther regarded the bunny calmly, "I'm here so we can get you back to the Magnolia. We still have a lot to do, so you better hurry up before we waste any more time than we already have. You running away actually caused a lot of work to pile up."_

_"What makes you think I'm gonna go with you?" Jack asked, gritting his teeth as he took a step towards the panther, "You are monsters, you are murderers and criminals, and there's no way in hell I'm going back to that shithole, no matter what you're gonna say! Now leave me alone and don't you dare setting another foot into this building ever again."_

_The panther regarded the angry bunny for a few silent moments before his smirk broadened, his voice steady and calm, seemingly unmoved by the bunny's rage,_

_"I can see you have sealed the covenant of marriage," he commented, his glinting eyes falling upon Jack's wedding band. The bunny immediately tensed up as the panther continued, his voice disgustingly sweet as he talked, "What a wonderful tradition. Two mammals, sealed through the bond of love and everlasting trust. What was it again? In prosperity and adversity? Until death... do you apart?"_

_Jack continued to glare at the feline as he bowed slightly down to his eye level, a mischievous glint in the panther's eyes as he continued,_

_"You have to understand me, I have the utmost respect for the principle of marriage. There is no greater shame in breaking such a bond. Now, you would do both of us a real favor in coming with me. You finish the work you have started, and I'm not forced to kill her. So what will it be? Either you come with us and she will live, or you can dismiss my offer and I am forced to take her instead. All I want from you is a little cooperation, no?"_

_Jack's blood froze as he listened to the feline's malicious words, his knees trembling and body paralyzed as he could do nothing but stare at him with wide eyes. Ears hanging limply behind his head, the words echoed again and again through his head like a broken record, playing a never ending song of agony and nightmares._

_His life was over. The life he had yearned for, the life he had been looking for so passionately. All of it seemed to be crumbling down into a pile of rubble and debris as he regarded the still smirking panther. He had given him an ultimatum, a dilemma he could impossibly choose from. He was forced to live a life full of crime and atrocities, or otherwise his wife, his Skye would have to pay for something she had nothing to do with. This was his fault. This was his problem, and Jack would be damned if Skye would have to deal with the repercussions he had caused._

_Shaking off the initial shock, the bunny clenched his fists as he glared at the feline. He was beyond furious and tempted to just beat down this damn panther for invading and ruining his life. But he knew he had to be careful about this, he couldn't be reckless. He needed time to think.._

_"This is quite a lot you demand from me," Jack spoke up after a moment, "Can I at least sleep over this?"_

_Fortunately, the feline just flashed his signature toothy smile, causing Jack to visibly relax as the panther answered, "Of course. I absolutely understand how grave this decision might be for you, so I'm willing to give you all the time necessary to make up your mind. Here's my number, call me when you're ready."_

_He gave him a familiar business card which Jack hesitantly accepted._

_With that the panther bid his adieu as he rounded Jack and started to walk down the empty streets. Jack followed him with his eyes until the dark figure of the feline eventually disappeared around the corner, causing the bunny to let out a weary sigh of relief._

_Despite what Jack had said, he had already made his decision..._

-o-

"What did you do?"

Jack turned his head as he leaned back into his chair to regard the questioning bunny. Judy's eyes were wide in anticipation, as if she was expecting his past self to do some heroic act that wouldn't have caused anything that happened now. It physically hurt to disappoint her.

Heaving a sigh, Jack turned back to stare at the ground, his ears limp as he answered in a weary voice,

"I did the only thing a cowardly bunny like me could do, Judy...

"...I killed him."

Eyes widening, fox and bunny stared in disbelief at the striped hare who was fidgeting in his seat, face scrunched up in thought, his blue eyes reflecting regret and guilt. Judy was about to speak up, to ask him what he had done specifically, but he beat her to it.

"I had already made my decision the night he found us. It wasn't a lie telling him I needed time. But I didn't need time to think about it, I needed time to prepare a cold blooded murder. The next day I told Skye I would go to work, but in truth I was getting myself a gun. Skye had no idea what I was about to do, and if I had it my way she would have never found out. I never wanted her to be pulled into this mess, I just wanted her to be safe.

"So I met up with him in this diner. I told him I wanted to talk about this somewhere more seclusive. I guess he was really desperate to get me back, or he didn't think I would do anything like that, so he just followed me into the alleyway, away from the prying eyes. Away from witnesses..."

Jack clenched his eyes shut as he was about to tell the hardest part, the part that was haunting him ever since. The moment he lost his innocence. The moment that caused all of this mess.

"He didn't think I could do it, taunted me," Jack continued, his voice hollow and lacking any emotions as he recalled his darkest secret, "He underestimated me. But I eventually did it. I pulled the trigger. I hit him squarely in his gut. One moment he was standing there, the next moment he was bleeding out on the ground. It went by so quick, I wasn't even realizing what I had done. I was completely numb, I didn't feel a thing. All I wanted was Skye to be safe, so I kept telling myself how what I had done was necessary, how justified my actions were. But I was wrong.

"I tried to cover it up, I got rid off the pawprints on the gun, made it look like suicide. No one knew who he was, so there wouldn't have been any motive, or evidence. I thought I got off scot-free. After a few days I couldn't bear it anymore. Realization settled in and I came to terms with what I had done. I had killed a mammal, took his life. I was devastated. I soon reached a point where I couldn't keep it to myself any longer, I had to confess, but I was too big of a coward to do it to the police. So I told the only mammal I could trust. I told her everything.

"To say Skye was shocked would be the biggest understatement of my life. Hell, she was more shocked than when I proposed to her. Couldn't really blame her. She couldn't believe what I had done, thought I was joking or something. She was clearly in denial. She cried. I cried. I thought it was over, I thought there was no way in hell she would want to stay with me after what I had done. I thought she would leave me for good."

A wistful smile tugged on Jack's lips as he continued, "But she always manages to surprise me. She didn't leave me, neither did she tell the police. When we married, when she told me she would stay with me through the bad and the good times, she wasn't playing. She immediately forgave me and helped me finding a new life. The two of us sold the apartment, we moved to a different place. I changed my name into Jack Savage and began to work from home, away from the public. She still had the diner and the soup kitchen. I thought it was over, really over," he let out a weary sigh as his smile faltered, "Until Cypher came along.

"I have to make things right, and that includes saving Skye, no matter what. Which is why I beg you to please trust me on this. We have to work with Cypher, he is the only mammal who can help us..."

Jack remained silent for a few seconds, waiting for his friends to digest what he had just told them. He was sure that they would condemn him, that they would cut him off of their lives as soon as they would find out what kind of a monster he was. He had killed a mammal, he had blood on his paws, and nothing could change that. He was a murderer, and it was for the best for Judy and Nick to realize that as soon as possible.

"Jack.." Judy uttered, barely coming to terms with what the hare had done, her brother. It broke her heart to hear what he had to go through, what he was forced to do because she and her family failed him catastrophically. Guilt and regret started to churn inside Judy's stomach as she reached out towards her brother, pulling him into a hug before she sobbed into the crook of his neck,

"Jack... Jacob, what you've done.." she stammered, swallowing the lump in her throat as it seemed incredibly difficult for her to find a clear answer in this matter, "I can't say I agree with what you've done since I'm... I'm a police officer. B- But… I.. It's absolutely against my moral compass to accept... to accept the fact that you have taken a mammals life. But... I understand. A- … And I want you to know that I am deeply sorry for... for all of this.. for what we have done to you to... and- and I know I should have been a better sister, and what you had to go through... you deserved none of it and- and," she was sobbing uncontrollably at this point, but the bunny did her best to control herself as she uttered the last words that Jack had hoped the most to hear from her,

"I forgive you."

Staring at her dumbfounded, Jack's eyes started to get misty as he looked at his sister in his arms. Glancing at the red fox behind her and the compassion in his warm emeralds, Jack also knew that Nick still had his back, no matter what. He had spilled his heart out, he had confessed his darkest secret, he practically told his friends that he was the main reason for all of this, and they forgave him.

He didn't deserve any of this, but he was more than glad to accept it.

"Me too buddy, I.. I can't say I'm fully convinced, trusting Cypher and so on, but..." Nick sighed, before he gave Jack a rare genuine smile, "if you and Judy are so sure about this, then I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

The hare was about to speak up again, his lip quivering as he tried to contain his emotions, but the door beside them suddenly swung open, interrupting him as a tigress stepped out onto the hallway. Fangmeyer glanced around the hallway until her eyes fell upon the three sobbing messes on the chairs lined up beside Wolford's room. Raising a quizzical brow, the tigress voiced her concern,

"Uh, am I interrupting anything..?"

Wiping her tears furiously from her face, Judy quickly jumped off the chair before she answered, her voice still slightly shaky,

"N- no. No, everything's fine. We're fine... How's Wolford doing?" she asked, glancing at the door of the sleeping wolf. Frowning slightly, the tigress answered in a tense voice,

"He's still unconscious, lost a lot of blood. I think the doct- "

_"FREEZE!"_

The sudden booming voice interrupted the tigress, causing all four mammals to turn their heads as their ears swiveled into the same direction where they could faintly pick up the sound of mammals yelling and shouting. Nurses and security mammals were rushing through the hallway, passing them as they ran in the direction from where the ruckus came from. Swallowing nervously, Nick glanced around his friends before he spoke up, a question that caused three pairs of eyes to widen,

"Uh, where is Cypher again?"

-o-

The white wolf was strolling nonchalantly down the hallway, two cups of water balanced in his paws, as he rounded the corner. Well, as nonchalantly as possible, as it wasn't usual to see a seven feet tall wolf. From the corner of his eyes, Cypher could see the mammals around him squirm under his presence, practically dodging him as he came through the hallway like a freight train. The wolf merely shrugged as he continued his way. It wasn't unusual for mammals to react like this upon seeing him, especially prey mammals. Cypher was used to living in the dark, among the shadows where it didn't matter how he looked like. Now, that he was practically forced to walk around in public, he had no other choice but to mind his own business and not to think too much about the dirty looks and whispers in the background.

As Cypher's mind was wandering, he almost failed to notice another broad shouldered mammal, just as huge as him, rounding the corner at the same time. The wolf barely managed to dodge the other mammal, a giant cape buffalo, the water cups safely grasped in his paws before the wolf grunted a curt, "Excuse me."

He was about to continue on his way, but was suddenly halted as someone grabbed him by his arm, pulling him back and turning him around, causing the water cup he was holding to slip out of his paw. Water spilling out from the cup as it fell to the ground, the wolf frowned as he looked up at the mammal that had caused him this misfortune, glaring into furious hazel eyes of the cape buffalo which widened as soon as he seemed to realize who Cypher was. Cypher had seen this mammal before...

"Well, good evening Chief Bogo," Cypher tersely greeted before pulling his arm out of the buffalo's grasp.

Without hesitation Bogo immediately pulled out his tranq gun before bellowing a deafening "FREEZE!" and causing all the mammals in immediate vicinity to actually freeze and stare with wide eyes at the two humongous mammals facing each other.

Cypher just raised his paws in a placating manner, staring lazily at the chief as he spoke in a relaxed tone,

"No need to get all pawsy, Chief. I'm just here to bring some water," he said, glancing at the one cup still in his paws.

"The hell you are," Bogo growled, "You're going to drop that cup and put your paws over your head, slowly."

"Can't do that," Cypher retorted, "Gotta get this water for someone."

The cape buffalo just clenched his teeth, growing steadily furious as he continued to point the tranq gun at the wolf. This mammal had already escaped him once, there was no way Bogo would let him go a second time. He was determined to arrest this criminal. But as something out of the corner of his eyes caught his attention, the cape buffalo averted his eyes past the wolf, seeing Hopps and Fangmeyer, together with the fox and the hare, running towards them. The buffalo visibly relaxed upon seeing his Officers. Glancing around, Bogo realized much to his chagrin that he apparently had an audience. Surrounding them were nurses, doctors, and curious civilians. Frowning, he turned back towards the white wolf who hadn't moved an inch since they bumped into each other, the canine eyeing him lazily as he waited for something to happen.

"Fangmeyer, Hopps. Arrest him, now!" he bellowed, his eyes trained on the wolf. The tigress and bunny just exchanged a glance, not sure what they should do. Sure, both of them had their doubts regarding Cypher, but both of them knew exactly out of experience that Cypher wasn't exactly dangerous to them.

"Officers!" he pulled the two out of their thoughts, actually turning his head to glare at them, "Now!"

"Uhm, Chief," Judy began, cautiously stepping closer to the huge mammals. It was as if she was walking inside a ravine, two towering walls looming over her as she spoke, "This is all a big misunderstanding... Cypher here... he kind of helps us now?"

She knew her argument was beyond weak and it was obvious that Bogo wasn't convinced at all, his tranq gun still aimed squarely at Cypher as he regarded Judy with a questioning glare, "Hopps, if you're not arresting him this instant, I'm going to fire you due to insubordination, is that clear?"

"Chief," Fangmeyer tried, still eyeing the wolf warily beside her, "I know how this might look, but hear us out, alright? I can understand if you don't really trust him, but... but he isn't dangerous. He saved us."

Bogo still was convinced, but the tigress could see something inside his eyes as she gauged his reaction; doubt. Fangmeyer was one of Bogo's senior officers, having decades of experience already behind her, and if there was any opinion that would matter to the old cape buffalo, then it would be hers. And she knew that.

"Chief, Sir. If he hadn't been there to rescue me, or Wolford... We both would be dead.

"He isn't dangerous. At least not for us."

If Bogo's resolve was changing, no one would know. The cape buffalo continued to glare furiously at Cypher, neither his stance or his expression faltering as he spoke up, his voice dangerously low,

"Are you sure about this, Officer Fangmeyer?"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, the tigress glanced over her shoulder at Cypher. She knew her answer would ultimately decide whether or not she would keep her job. Bogo trusted her, and if she was wrong, this could very well cost the tigress her job or even her life. She threw the white wolf a glare that told him, he better not disappoint her, before she turned back to her boss, a determined expression on her face,

"I'm sure."

The tension in the room was palpable, and Fangmeyer didn't know what they were supposed to do if Bogo decided not to trust her. From what she had witnessed it was nearly impossible for any of them to take down this wolf. Bogo would maybe have a chance, but Fangmeyer doubted that even her Chief could do much against a mammal such as Cypher. The nurses, doctors, and patients were all gawking curiously at the scene before them; Bogo and Cypher, police and criminal, an unstoppable force and an immovable mountain.

Bogo continued to aim at the wolf for a few more moments, before he finally lowered his weapon with a reluctant, "Fine," much to the relief of all mammals that were present. Cypher followed suit and lowered his paws as well, the wolf seemingly completely unmoved by what had just transpired as he calmly passed Fangmeyer the cup of water, the tigress gratefully accepting it. An audible collective sigh echoed through the room as the crowd started to disperse, the nurses and doctors returning to their patients. The security mammals though remained, eyeing warily the wolf and ready to interfere in case of an attack.

Judy and Nick visibly deflated as the situation fortunately de-escalated, but their ears immediately perked up as Bogo spoke up, his voice still tense and laced with doubt,

"This isn't over," he said, pointing a hoof at the wolf, "As soon as all of this shitfest is over, you will be persecuted for your crimes. I'm keeping an eye on you."

"Looking forward to it," Cypher replied, a lazy smirk on his lips before his expression quickly returned to his usual lackadaisical face as he turned around to regard the fox and the two bunnies.

"How is he doing?" he asked as Bogo pulled Fangmeyer to the side, the two of them walking towards Wolford's room to talk in private.

"Wolford? Oh, he's fine I guess. He's just still unconscious though.." Judy answered, her ears falling limp as she thought about her good-natured co-worker.

Cypher just grunted before he turned to Nick, the fox crossing his arms as he glared at the wolf, his voice tense as he spoke up,

"So what's this all about with you and Jack? Stripes here said you two have struck a deal behind my back, something about me giving you my journal?"

"It's true," Cypher answered, "He will give me the journal in exchange for me taking you guys straight to Mephisto and the vixen. That was the deal. I wasn't aware that the journal belongs to you, do you have it right now?"

Squinting his eyes suspiciously, the fox answered curtly, "I do. You will get it if, and that's a big if you really manage to get us to Skye and help us to kick that guy's ass."

"Not happening," Cypher answered, crossing his arms, "I need the journal now. It's important."

"Forget it, I'm not stupid! I'm not just gonna hand you a journal full of spells that might kill us. In case you haven't noticed yet, I still don't fully trust you. And I'm sure I speak for everyone here if I say that it would be dumb to give you the journal before you help us."

"No, do you know what's dumb? Having such a powerful weapon and not using it. That journal consists spells and secrets that will definitely help us defeating Mephisto, it's the only way to even stand a chance against him. You saw what he's capable of. He nearly killed an officer, and that wasn't even him personally. So if you really want me to help you, then help me first by handing me that journal."

The two canines continued to glare each other, none of them saying another word for a few moments as they faced each other with crossed arms. Judy and Jack weren't sure what to do as they basically had no idea what they were talking about, so the bunnies decided to just sit this one out and listen.

"Do you have proper training with your Familiar?" Cypher then asked after a moment, to which Nick's frown deepened as he answered,

"No. I never saw the necessity to do something like that."

"And I bet you haven't even read the whole journal, right?"

"I... I skimmed through it and got the gist," Nick stammered, his resolve slightly faltering as he considered what the wolf was saying. It was true that Nick had never seen the necessity in learning all the spells. Hell, the journal was as thick as a bible. And who the hell would have thought he would need all of them? He was an ordinary tailor, not a mage. He only learned how to summon his Familiar because it was the only thing that really caught his interest, but that was it. He never learned how to fight with it.

"That's what I thought," the wolf sighed as he straightened himself. Closing his eyes for a moment, the wolf thought about his next step. Cypher knew he and these little mammals were sharing a common interest; defeating Mephisto. While they did it merely to save the little vixen, he did it because of personal gain. He wanted to take revenge on Mephisto for what that bastard had done. But he knew he couldn't do it alone and he would definitely need the journal. There would be no point in getting the journal after they would fight Mephisto. He needed it now.

Opening his eyes, ruby eyes glared at emeralds as the wolf spoke up,

"Here's what's going to happen. You will give me the journal and I will personally train you. I will show you how to properly use your Familiar and tell you everything you need to know if you want to fight and win against Mephisto. He is a powerful enemy, and none of us can do shit against him if we do this separately. I'm saying this because we have the same goal, little fox. Hand me the journal, and I will be able to help you."

Averting his eyes, Nick thought about it for a while. He could definitely saw the logic behind Cypher's offer, they did need to prepare properly if the were to fight against this Mephisto guy. He had seen with his own eyes, hell Nick was the one who was almost killed by that lunatic! Reluctantly Nick had to realize that Cypher had a point. Turning back to the wolf, he let out a sigh before he extended his paw,

"Fine," Nick huffed curtly, not saying anything further before Cypher grabbed his paw and shook it.

"Alright, since we got this settled," Judy spoke up, causing the two canines to turn towards her, "How are we going to get to Skye now? Nick and I have found out that she is somewhere in the Nocturnal District, right? So how do we get there, especially Jack and me since we're prey?"

"That is correct," Cypher answered, crossing his arms, "Prey mammals aren't allowed in those parts. As soon as someone sees you or Savage, you will be either beaten up or killed.

"However," he continued Judy was about to retort, interrupting her, "If you were to have a Magnolia with you, it wouldn't be a problem."

"It's true," Jack spoke up, his face scrunched up in thought, "It's how I was able to get there.. you know.. when I worked for them."

"Alright, then we just go with Cypher and everything will be fine, right?" Judy asked hopefully.

"Sure, that is if I was still a Magnolia," Cypher responded with a shrug, "But unfortunately I am no longer part of that family. That means I am just as targeted as you two."

"That's just great," Nick huffed as he stepped beside Judy, "Is there no way for all of us to get there? You said it before, it's impossible to fight that guy if we go in there separately."

The white wolf nodded as he spoke up, "That's right. Good thing is, the Nocturnal District isn't a separate district per se, like Tundratown and so on."

"And how is that a good thing?" Judy asked.

"The Nocturnal District is more like a broad underground community," Jack answered, their eyes turning towards the striped bunny as he talked, "It's a network made out of predators and their mutual hate for prey, but also focussing on other crimes like drug dealing and mammal trafficking. The Nocturnal District isn't a separate district like Cypher just said, it's everywhere. It's spread out all over Zootopia."

Nick raised a brow at how much Jack knew about it, but quickly remembered where Jack got all the information. It was still unsettling to know how much Jack had to actually go through.

"How come the ZPD doesn't know about this?" Judy asked, baffled by how she never heard a thing about this criminal network that was right below her feet.

"Oh they do," Jack answered, a frown on his face as he regarded his sister, "It's why the police exists in the first place, Judy. The Nocturnal District is the manifestation of crime, and you can never get rid off crime completely. As long as there will be criminals on the streets, the Nocturnal District will continue to exist."

Averting her eyes and staring at the ground, Judy considered her brother's words. She definitely understood what Jack was saying, she knew how ridiculous and unrealistic the notion was to completely get rid off crime. As long as there were mammals, there will be crime. Sighing, she crossed her arms as she continued to listen to the wolf,

"Your little vixen is among this network right now," Cypher continued, "There is a casino in Sahara Square. From the outside it looks like every other casino in that district, but below it, underground, is a wide network of tunnels spreading throughout Zootopia. One tunnel leads to an underground bar that serves only preds. Prey mammals don't have any business down there and will be killed on the spot. But I can assure you, if we manage to get to that bar, we will get to Mephisto."

"Alright," Nick chimed in, "So let me get this straight. We somehow have to get into that casino, get into the basement and into the tunnels, somehow get Carrots and Stripes in there without them being killed on the spot, and finally, somehow finding our way in a huge network of tunnels to a lunatic who wants to kill all of us? Yeah, doesn't sound crazy at all."

The fox scoffed before he turned his head away, apparently not satisfied with the situation they were in. It was ridiculous in his eyes to pull such a insane plan through. There was no way Nick believed that they would get out of this unharmed. And as he looked around into the faces of his friends, he could see the same doubts reflecting in their eyes. They all knew how crazy this plan was, they all knew what was at stake. And still, Nick could also see something else in their eyes. He could see determination and resolve. No matter how crazy this plan might seem, Nick knew they wouldn't back down, he knew they would go to the end of the world for Skye just like Nick would do for either of them. Alright, maybe not Cypher, but definitely for Judy and Jack.

This was their only chance. This was the only way for them to get to Mephisto, defeat him, and rescue Skye. Clenching his fists, Nick silently swore he would do anything in his power to help his friends. He needed to train, hard. He needed to learn everything about Mephisto and the Magnolia. He needed to learn everything from the journal. Just so he was sure he could pull off this crazy undercover plan, so he could fight, so he could protect his friends.

So he could protect Judy.


	21. Blurred Lines

_"Maybe I should have killed four-five hundred people, then I would've felt better. Then I would've felt like I really offered society something. You know, if I wanted to kill somebody, I'd take this book and beat you to death with it, and I wouldn't feel a thing. It'd be just like walking to the drug store."  
-Charles Manson, MSNBC Interview 1987_

-o-

Skye wasn't sure how long she had been sitting in this dark office. Were it hours? Days? Maybe even weeks? She had no idea. Heck, she didn't even have a clue what daytime it was as the office didn't have any windows or clocks. But as the arctic vixen sat wearily on the bed, her face in her paws as she tried to maintain her composure, there was one thing she was absolutely sure of.

She was going crazy.

She had stopped trying to tell herself that everything will be alright. There was no way this was going to end well. She was trapped in this hellhole, she was sure her captor was a demon in mammal form. Those black tentacles, those jet black limbs protruding from this monster's body... Skye knew they would haunt her for a very long time.

What had she done to deserve this? She had always tried to be a good mammal, to help those in need and never leave someone behind. It was her daily mantra, her life motto, and her purpose. She thought about the times she had picked up mammals from the streets, how she had fed the homeless, gave them shelter and handouts. She remembered the times when Fanny used to be the owner of the diner, how she had spent every single minute helping her out, being the waitress and the cook at the same time. She remembered how readily she lended Nick a paw whenever he needed help in his tailor shop, whether it was looking over the deliveries and textiles or managing the counter. It always calmed her restless mind to know that at least the mammals around her could fully rely on her and vice versa, no matter what.

And then there was Jack. Her husband and mate. To say her relationship with the buck was strange would be an understatement. She loved him, no doubt. And she was sure he did the same. But how far would either of them go for the other? She had already proven to him how far she would go to him. She showed him, that her love would go beyond anything they have experienced. She helped him hiding a body, she helped him cleaning a dirty record, she helped him getting rid off his skeletons.

She helped him, and this was the price she was going to pay.

Lifting her face from her paws, the vixen let out a weary sigh as she straightened herself on the mattress.

_Think positive, Skye. You can't let yourself down this way._

Taking a steadying breath, Skye mentally thought about the pros and cons of her current situation. She already knew very well the cons, so there would be no need for her to review that. Shifting her thoughts towards the pros, she began to think about the things she could hope for, the things that helped her calm her troubled nerves.

For one, she was at least not chained to the bed anymore. After breaking free and managing to walk about 3 feet out the door, her captor had thrown her right back into the dark office, but hadn't made the effort to chain her back. Instead he just left her wandering around the room. Heck, she was sure the door wasn't even locked. She could go whenever she wanted. The only catch was how far she would actually get.

She was trapped here, but at least she didn't feel like she was in any mortal danger. While her captor was indubitably a menacing individual with a terrifying aura, not once did he actually showed any hostility towards her. Sure, he held her captured in this dark room, but she was relatively unharmed. He provided her with food and even let her use the bathroom as it was an office en suite. So at least she had that going for her. Not dying was absolutely a pro on her list.

But by far the most convincing aspect, the thing that gave her most of the hope to keep going on, was her trust in her friends. She was sure, absolutely convinced that Jack and Nick would be looking for her. There was no way the two of them would be sitting on their tails waiting for something to happen. She knew the two of them better than they did themselves. She wasn't sure when, but she was absolutely sure that they would come and get her.

The rapidly rising hope inside her quickly dropped though, the vixen spun her head towards the door, eyes widening as she realized someone was coming in. Not sure what she should do or how she should react, Skye just froze as she sat on the bed, her eyes trained on her captor who calmly entered the office before closing the door. The silver fox walked wordlessly to his desk, seated himself on his chair without acknowledging the wary vixen whatsoever.

Skye wasn't sure what she was supposed to do as she watched the fox starting to work on his paperwork, the usual routine she was used to seeing by now. His paws were gliding swiftly across the paper, reading the Braille as his eyes stared blankly into space. Occasionally her eyes glanced towards the door, a tiny part inside of her actually tempted to just make a run for it. What was he going to do to her if she'd try? If he wanted to kill her, he surely would have done it already.

She was pulled out of her thoughts as the fox decided to break the silence, the vixen turning towards him as her ears perked up,

"I know you probably have a lot of questions," he spoke up in a gentle voice, his paws continuing to slide over paper after paper, "You know, I never told you to be silent. Do you want to know the answer to all of your questions?"

He stopped his reading, turning his head slightly to regard the vixen. Skye could see his blind eyes glinting strangely in the dark, her night vision helping her to see him relatively clearly. Swallowing the lump in her throat she considered his offer. She did have a lot of questions; why was she still here? What did he mean with him needing her? Where was she and what the heck was going on?

Apparently having understood her silence, the blind fox just nodded curtly, waving his paw and signaling her to step closer. Swallowing, Skye reluctantly took a step forwards, tiny steps, yet she was moving closer to the desk, to the fox. She was terrified, no doubt in that. She had no idea what she was getting into, but after sitting in this dark office for God knows how long, wondering and asking herself the same questions over and over again, the vixen just had to find some answers. And here, her captor was offering himself to tell her at least something.

After a few more steps Skye finally stood beside the silver fox behind the desk, the two vulpines facing each other as the blind fox had waited patiently for the vixen to be close enough. As she stood right in front of him, her body trembling because of anticipation or fear, she didn't know, the blind fox then raised a paw, causing Skye to flinch and clench her eyes shut. Whatever this guy was about to do to her, she immediately regretted stepping closer, but now it was too late. His paw touched her face, gently stroking the fur as Skye tried her best to maintain her composure. She was tempted to jerk away, to slap his paw from her face, but she didn't dare to touch him. His paw slowly wandered up her face until he was touching her forehead, and what happened next caught her so off guard, the vixen yelped of surprise, leaping away from the silver fox before she collapsed onto the ground, her lungs heaving for air as she stared with wide sapphires at the blind fox, who just lowered his arm as he stared into space, a slight smile on his lips.

Completely stunned and out of breath, her heart and mind racing, she breathed out a, "What the heck was that?!" causing the blind fox to chuckle mirthfully.

"I showed you the answers to your questions, quite literally," he chuckled as he leaned back into his chair.

Forcing her heart to calm down after a few steadying breaths, Skye averted her eyes as she tried to recollect what she had seen. Upon contact of his paw with her forehead, it seemed like a cascade of informations and pictures invaded her mind, an onslaught of vivid memories that weren't hers.

She recalled seeing herself, just a whole lot younger lying in a crib, sleeping calmly. She recalled hearing something about a promising future, about destiny. She felt shock, she felt anger and grief. She felt the warm feeling of some liquid, of blood. She felt agony and pride. But none of it made sense to her. None of these sensations and memories were coherent for her. Lifting her eyes to stare at the blind fox, she decided to voice her questions with a quivering voice, unsure if she wanted to know,

"W- What... what's the meaning of this?"

The blind fox' smirk grew as he answered her, his voice smooth as always,

"What you saw were my memories, Skye. You wondered why you were here, why I captured you, so I decided to answer you in the simplest way possible. I just showed you."

"B.. But none of it makes sense!" Skye exclaimed, refusing to acknowledge the reality of the situation, instead focussing on how crazy all of this was.

The blind fox just continued to smile, doing nothing to calm her nerves, "Your mother and I loved you Skye, more than anything in the world. Even though you weren't supposed to exist at all."

His words caused her mind to come to a screeching halt. Time seemed to come to a standstill as she stared at him with wide eyes. Not being able to move a single muscle or utter a word, she continued to listen numbly at his words, the world around her collapsing as she slowly lost the grip on reality.

"We've made a mistake, your mother and I," he continued, his voice low as he recalled distant memories, "Hard times were challenging the future of Magnolia, and the mammals were desperate to find a new leader, as the current leader at that time was getting too sick, too weak to continue his leadership. There were fights, yelling and discussions. It was utter chaos.

"But soon, everyone had to come to the realization that we already had a very promising leader among our ranks. A young fox, full of hope and dedication, ready to do anything that was necessary to uphold the reign of the Magnolia over the underworld. I was a perfect leader, and everything would've run smoothly, but there was one problem..."

"W- What problem?" Skye uttered, causing the blind fox to turn his head, staring straight ahead into Skye's direction, seemingly into her eyes even though she knew he couldn't possibly see anything.

"You," he answered, causing Skye's blood to freeze inside her veins as her body trembled, "You were the problem, Skye. Due to me having a child, my future as a leader was at stake. As a leader I was supposed to solely focus on the Magnolia and its role on this world, and nothing else. There shouldn't be any distractions whatsoever, and I knew that.

"It broke my heart to kill your mother, Skye. But she was a distraction, one I was forced to get rid off, just like I was supposed to sacrifice you, my only child. But I couldn't do it. I was weak, I was soft, the thought of killing my own offspring was sickening to me. So I decided to give you away instead, hoping you could live a life away from the cruel future you were destined for."

Tears started to well in her eyes as she tried to digest what she had just heard, her paw covering her quivering lips as she sobbed, her rigid body trembling as fear and terror settled in her heart,

"Y- You... you killed my mother," she breathed as her misty eyes stared at her captor, her father.

"I did it because it was necessary, Skye. Don't think it didn't break my heart to do it," the blind fox retorted gently, a sad expression on his face, "She was my world, but I did what had to be done."

"Then why am I here?" Skye asked, internally fearing the answer.

"Because I've changed my mind, Skye," he answered calmly with a smile, "To give you away was a mistake, I should've never done it in the first place. Instead I should've seen the potential in you, in my own child.

"These are hard times, Skye. The Magnolia is crumbling, fewer and fewer mammals reside in these ranks. It's a wretched world we live in, tainted with hatred and impurity, filled with sins and abhorrent crimes," he ranted, his voice laced with disgust as his expression slightly darkened.

The fox rose from his seat before he took a few slow steps into Skye's direction, causing the vixen to scramble away in fear until she reached a wall, preventing her from backing up further.

"As the leader of the Magnolia," he continued as he stepped closer to the squirming vixen, "I think it is my task to get rid off this world's dirt and shame. Unfortunately," he sighed, "You cannot possibly clean the water if there's already too much mud in it. I see no other way to save this land, save Animalia from its immediate demise, than to completely cleanse this world, and to start all over again, to build a glorious and pure world, free of materialistic greed and sin."

"And.. And w- what do I have.. to do with this?" Skye stammered, not understanding as to why this fox was telling her about this lunatic plan, about the horrifying things he had done and was planning to do.

"I want you to help me Skye," he answered, standing directly in front of her before he crouched down onto her level, seemingly staring directly into her soul as he spoke, "I want you to join me in my cause, so we can rule over Animalia as father and daughter, just like it's supposed to be. I am old Skye, and I'm not immortal. One day I will leave this world, and to ensure that the world we will create won't crumble again, I need someone I can trust, someone who can take over once I am no more."

Skye could do nothing but stare at him, her mind racing as she sat on the ground. She was struggling to get all the onslaught of information into her head, she wasn't sure what was real, what was a lie. Everything was blurred and honestly, she was way too exhausted to figure out what was going on. Her panicked mind and trembling body was tearing on her energy, and as the silver fox straightened himself, he sent her a smile before he returned to his desk.

"I know this is a lot to digest, so I will give you time to think about it. You should rest now, my child."

With that he turned away from her, continuing to work on his paperwork calmly as if nothing had happened at all, as if he hadn't just witnessed the world around Skye crumbling into thousand pieces as the vixen could do nothing but sit paralyzed on the floor.

And after hearing all of this, Skye wasn't sure she could ever truly rest again. Not as long as she was here.

-o-

After formulating a plan together with Cypher, the two bunnies, the fox and the wolf went back to Wolford's room to tell Bogo and the rest of their plan. At first the cape buffalo wasn't very keen of it, thinking it was a very risky and dangerous move, but after some convincing from Judy's and even Fangmeyer's side, Bogo finally relented, though reluctantly. He still had his doubts and worries, but even the Chief had to realize that this case was anything but usual, so he saw no other choice than to go with the plan they had. Additionally to that, the buffalo insisted on keeping this case completely off the books, much to the tigress and bunny's surprise. It was unusual for the buffalo to do things under the radar, but after some explanations, telling them that the public was already in a state of panic after the released video of Cypher, the worst thing they could do right now was to make such a suicide mission public. Bogo insisted he wants this mission to be done as soon as possible, so he can have his officer's safe and sound back in his precinct, including Hopps.

While Fangmeyer wanted nothing more than to join them in their efforts, she knew she couldn't leave Wolford alone. She needed to keep an eye on her friend, in case the mammals who did this to him wanted to finish their job, so the tigress agreed to stay here in the meantime, but wanted to be immediately included if something was to happen.

After some more discussions and explanations, the plan was finally established; Nick, Judy, Jack, Cypher, and eventually Fangmeyer will be operating the mission. Together they will invade the base of the Magnolia and save Skye. What they will do with Mephisto was Cypher's business.

But before any of them could do anything, the first step was to prepare themselves properly for such an extraordinary mission. After finishing their discussions with Bogo, the team minus Fangmeyer and Wolford returned to Nick's air hangar, their base of operations for the time being.

It was early in the morning, the sun barely over the horizon and the air still chilly as the police cruiser pulled up in the drive way, tires screeching as they came to a halt in front of the air hangar, the four of them exiting the vehicle.

"What happened to the entrance?" Judy asked, her eyes falling upon the broken windows and scattered glass shards all over the place. Three other pairs of eyes followed her gaze, before Nick chuckled mirthfully, remembering the chase a few days ago as he had been fleeing from that cheetah on his bike, resulting in him bursting through the glass windows and ultimately destroying the entrance.

"Eh, had a _Wilde_ night, you could say," he quipped, giving the bunny a wink before he moved towards the building, Cypher following him mutely while the two bunnies walked side by side.

As they entered the air hangar, a complete mess was what they found; rubber and debris, metal pieces, tools, dirt, and pieces of wood were dispersed everywhere. The four of them came to a halt in the middle of the room, their eyes roaming the interior as they took in the chaos. Ruby eyes fell upon the broken crates and the glass shards before Cypher lowered his gaze, reading the markings in the sand they had left.

"You had a fight," he deducted, more of a statement than a question. The fox just shrugged as he put his paws on his hips, his emeralds taking in his beloved home.

"Not really, was pretty one sided if you'd ask me. That cheetah had some serious skills," he chuckled as he went ahead to pick up a broom in the back of the hangar to start cleaning the mess. Nick started to sweep the room with a light smirk on his lips, the two bunnies soon following him wordlessly as they began to pick up pieces of wood to clean up the area.

"You met Ensslin," Cypher commented, raising a brow as he regarded Nick, watching the three mammals cleaning the hangar, "I'm surprised you managed to escape. And that in one piece."

"You can say that again," Nick chuckled, not looking up as he swept, "Was pretty lucky actually. Didn't stand a chance in a fight against her."

Cypher just harrumphed, "We should change that. If you can't even stand a fight against Ensslin, you're not going to last a second against Mephisto. You need serious training, fox."

"I know, I know," Nick responded, shrugging lazily and still not looking up, "Can't that wait? I'm sti-"

The fox never finished his sentence as Nick suddenly froze, dropping the broom as he looked up with wide emeralds. Feeling the cold metal scratching his throat, Nick didn't dare to move as he looked into the burning rubies of the white wolf who just had been standing several feet away from him, but now Cypher was right before him, his sword dangerously close to slicing his neck.

"Nick!" a voice exclaimed from somewhere in the back, glancing past the wolf, Nick saw that Judy and Jack were already running over to them, fire in her eyes as she was ready to jump at the wolf. Before the bunnies could do anything though, Cypher snapped his fingers with his free paw, summoning his Familiar who caused the bunnies to stop dead in their tracks, wary of the shadowy spirit.

"Stay out of this," Cypher slowly spoke, his eyes trained on Nick who began to glare at him, "This is between me and the fox."

"What's the big idea?" Jack asked, as he glared at the back of the wolf, standing closely beside Judy as the bunnies faced the Familiar, "I thought we had a deal!"

"You need proper training fox," Cypher repeated, ignoring Jack as he talked to Nick, "Mephisto isn't an enemy you can take on lightly. In order to defeat him, I need all of you, and I mean everyone," he pointedly said as he glanced over his shoulder, "to be at their peak performance. This is your first lesson, fox. Summon your Familiar."

"W- Wait, y.. you m-" Nick stammered, his paws raised in a placating manner as he tried to talk his way out. Unfortunately Cypher wasn't having any of that, interrupting the fox by pressing the edge of his sword closer to Nick's throat, the fox slightly backing away as he feared the deadly weapon.

"Now, fox," Cypher growled, not leaving any room for discussion.

Judy and Jack could do nothing but stare in fear at the two canines, not sure what they were supposed to do. While she wanted nothing more than to interfere and get ahold of the situation, she couldn't exactly do anything as the two of them were facing a growling spirit wolf that was about three times bigger than any of them. Swallowing nervously, Judy had to realize that she couldn't help Nick on this one. While Cypher was in the right to say that all of them needed to be at their best for this fight, she had doubts about his teaching techniques.

Jack on the other paw, could definitely see the point in Cypher's procedure. He understood how crucial it was for any of them to give their best in this. And in order for them to do that, they needed training. Nick's training in this case would include to do anything Cypher would say, as otherwise he had no one else to learn from. There are only so many mammals with the blood of a Magnolia, and Nick had the advantage to receive training from a veteran. While Jack didn't agree with the brute and blunt way Cypher was trying to teach, the bunny decided to leave this to the wolf. Putting a paw on Judy's shoulder, causing his sister to turn her head, he just nodded at her before he started to push her towards the entrance,

"Cypher's right," Jack said, causing Judy to frown, "Let him do his thing. We can't help on this one."

"But.." Judy wanted to protest, glancing back towards Nick. Much to her surprise, the fox nodded curtly, his eyes trained on Cypher as he glared at the wolf,

"Do what he says, Carrots. I'm fine," he said softly before cautiously snapping his fingers. In an instant another Familiar appeared, this one smaller in size though.

Another squeeze on her shoulder caused her to turn her head. Looking into the reassuring expression in Jack's blue eyes, the bunny clenched her fists before she reluctantly followed her brother, occasionally glancing back at the fox to send him a concerned look.

But Nick wasn't paying her attention anymore, his eyes trained on Cypher as the two canines glared at each other. As soon as the two bunnies left the hangar, Cypher slowly removed the sword from Nick's neck as he took a few steps back. Straightening himself and sending the wolf a hardened glare, Nick was determined to do this. Even though Cypher had a strange way of showing it, the fox knew how important this was. He needed to get stronger. In all of his fight as of yet, the only thing Nick was able to do was to run away. That couldn't be. He was supposed to protect his friends, he had promised it. This was the only way to ensure that.

"Alright, what are we going to do? Because I'm still confused about to what extent I can use my Familiar as a weapon. It's just like another me, right? Only on all fours," Nick asked as his Familiar walked over to stand beside him.

Sheathing his sword, Cypher heaved a sigh before he put his paws on his hips, regarding Nick with a slight frown,

"Don't see your Familiar as an separate entity," he said, "but rather as a part of you. Even though you split him from your soul, he is still you. From what I've seen, you tend to just summon him and that's it. You leave him to do his own thing. That's not how to use your Familiar."

Glancing to the side, Cypher looked at his own Familiar, a just as ginormous wolf as it walked over in steady strides until it was standing beside the white wolf.

"Try to actively control him," he continued, "Tell him what to do by simply thinking what he should do."

"Sounds simple enough," Nick commented as he glanced at his own Familiar.

"It is," Cypher commented, "That is if you were to walk down a park with him. But since we're talking about fighting Mephisto, it will be anything but. You need to learn how to control your Familiar flawlessly, while you're fighting Mephisto yourself. This requires you to be fully focussed on your own bodily movements, on your enemy, and your mind."

Seeing the uncertainty in the red fox' eyes, the white wolf crossed his arms as he thought for a while. He needed him to be at his best, and that in a relatively short timespan. His Familiar needed to become stronger and more agile, while Nick himself needed fighting experience. An idea popped up into Cypher's mind, causing his eyes to light up before he regarded Nick.

"Here's what we're gonna do," he began, snapping his fingers as his Familiar vanished. The wolf drew his sword and pointed the deadly weapon squarely at Nick, causing the fox to take a wary step back, "I will attack you, and all you have to do is fend me off with anything you've got."

"W- Wait, what?!" Nick exclaimed, emeralds darting frantically around as he realized what Cypher had said, "How the hell am I supposed to fend you off?! You're thrice as big as me!"

"Be creative," Cypher flatly answered, and before Nick could retort the white wolf was already dashing at full speed at the fox.

Too late did Nick react, resulting in the hilt of the wolf to hit him at full tilt into his guts, causing the fox to be hurled across the room. Painfully Nick hit the ground, the air being pushed out of his lungs as pain shot through his body. Groaning, the fox tried to pick himself up, but with every movement his body screamed at him to hold still, his limbs aching and head spinning.

"You're slow," Cypher commented, calmly standing several feet away as he watched the fox slowly picking himself up, still wobbly on his legs yet standing.

"Fuck you," Nick grunted, rubbing the sore spot on his stomach as he glared at the wolf.

"Use your Familiar," Cypher continued, glancing at the fox spirit a few feet away who was growling at him, "He's your greatest asset in this fight, make use of him!"

"How the hell am I supposed to win this fight, if my Familiar vanishes every time you beat it with your sword, and gets weaker every time I summon it back?! It's impossible!" Nick retorted, quickly growing annoyed from this training.

"Then don't let it get beaten, it's simple as that," Cypher retorted, an unsettling grin spreading across his face as he began to put himself in a fight stance, ready to dash a second time at Nick.

Frowning, Nick took a steadying breath as he straightened himself, fists clenching as determination rose inside of him life a burning inferno. This training would be rough, no doubt in that. He was absolutely sure he would most likely break a few bones here and there. He would probably pass out several times. But all of this would be worth it. He needed to become stronger, faster, and better. All of his life he had been running away like a coward, tail tucked in between his legs.

Those times were over. He had friends to protect. He had a sister to rescue. And he had an enemy to defeat.

Putting himself in his own fighting stance, his mind fully focussed on the fight as he tensed his muscles and emeralds burning as he regarded the smirking wolf. His training had begun.

"Let's get it on."

-o-

"I don't like this at all."

The bunny grumbled as she walked with her brother around the area outside of the hangar, deciding they wanted to look around the place in case they could find anything useful.

 _Her brother_. Alone the thought of it that Jack was actually her long lost brother was stunning to her. She still had difficulties grasping the reality of it, some tiny sparkle inside of her head telling her that this was too good to be true. Through all of her childhood she had thought she had lost him, her brother Jacob. Some of her siblings even assumed him dead, not believing a scrawny little bunny like him could have survived after running away. While there were days Judy tended to believe them, she tried her best to remain optimistic, to tell herself that Jacob was somewhere out there, safe and sound.

And here he was, walking by her side and chatting with her as if he had never left,

"I know you don't," Jack responded, his blue eyes glancing around the yard, "But it's the way it is. Cypher is right, and you know that. We all need to train and prepare ourselves for this fight, you've seen what Mephisto is capable of."

Judy just sighed as her ears fell flat behind her head, "I know, but..." she bit her lip, "There's surely another way to do this, right? A safer way."

Jack just shook his head, still not looking at Judy as they walked in a slow pace, "There's no other way, Judes. Cypher knows what's best, and if it means to resort to harsher methods, then so be it."

Judy had to frown as she heard this, but seeing the determination in his ice blue eyes, the bunny decided to remain silent as she continued to mull about their situation, the two of them walking silently around the premises. She couldn't help but occasionally glance at Jack, watching him as he walked calmly around, his eyes taking any and everything in. Though he appeared to be rather relaxed, she could see his tense muscles, the miniscule frown, and hear his slightly erratic breathing.

Jack was nothing but relaxed.

Frowning, Judy then slowly came to a halt as she regarded Jack, who walked another two steps before noticing that she wasn't beside him anymore, causing him to turn around with a quizzical brow.

"What's wrong?" he asked, slightly intrigued. Judy just glared at him for a moment, her eyes reflecting her concern and her worries. Taking a steadying breath, she spoke up after a moment,

"I... I'm sorry, for everything," she stammered, forcing herself to maintain eye contact as she watched her brother growing confused.

"What?" he asked, turning fully around to face her. He wasn't sure where this was going, but seeing his sister in such a worried state raised caused him to take a few steps towards her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you, when you needed me the most," she elaborated, her ears hanging limply behind her head, "I failed you as a sister and because of that you had to go through... through all this mess, and I'm... I'm so incredibly sorry for that."

Finally understanding what was keeping her busy, his expression softened as Jack gave her a soft smile, "There's nothing to apologize for, Judy. You're not at fault for what happened to me."

"How can you say that?" she raised her voice, slowly feeling the tears welling up her ears but forcing herself to keep her composure. She wasn't about to cry, not this time, "How can you even stand here before me, knowing very well how much we failed you as a family?"

"Judy," he began, putting his paws onto her shoulder to calm her trembling body as he sighed, "I don't want to lie to you. It might be true that you guys played a role in what caused me to run away. Indirectly that is. But I could never blame you, any of you. How could I? What had happened to me was my own fault, because of my own naiveté."

Seeing that his sister had already considerably calmed down as she listened to him, he looked around the area. Finding what he had been looking for, Jack began to lead his sister over to a round log of wood, the two bunnies seating themselves beside each other. He remained silent for a few moments as the two of them let their eyes roam, taking in the midmorning sun and the light blue sky above their heads.

"Back in Bunnyburrow," he continued after a while, his eyes not focussing on anything in particular, "I never truly felt like I belonged. I didn't feel like I was supposed to be there. So I ran away, in the hopes I could find a place where I could feel like I could be myself, a place I could call home."

"And... did you find such a place?" Judy asked as she watched him with sorrowful amethysts.

A smile tugged on his lips as Jack responded slowly, "I guess you could say that. I found a home in her. Wherever Skye is, wherever she might go, that's home for me."

Hearing how lovingly Jack talked about his wife caused Judy to smile herself as she continued to watch her brother. While she hadn't seen him for decades, she knew from their early days how sensitive Jack could be. He was an emotional bunny, which wasn't very unusual in the first place. Bunnies tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves. But now that she knew since Jack never truly felt like he belonged in Bunnyburrow, he couldn't have been able to express himself, causing him to bottle all of those feelings up and isolate himself. It caused him great damage, and it broke her heart to see her brother like this.

But as she sat here and listened to him talking about his wife, she knew that whatever wounds Jack had to suffer over the years, those were starting to heal. His love for Skye mended his heart. He had found a place where he could be himself, where he could be happy.

"I promise you," Judy spoke up after a moment, putting her paw on his shoulder to show him her never ending support, "that we will find Skye and bring her back, no matter what."

Glancing over his shoulder, he sent her an appreciative smile, "Thanks Judes, I know you will."

Squeezing his shoulder she eventually let go as the two bunnies proceeded to continue their silent mulling. It wasn't a tense silence like Judy would have expected, but rather a serene one. She was completely content to just sit here in silence with her brother and relish the fresh wind breezing through the air, listening to the faint rustling of the trees nearby, and enjoy the warm midmorning sun.

Her ears perked up as Jack suddenly decided to speak up, causing her to glance at him.

"Enough about me though," Jack sighed, a smirk on his lips as he turned to face Judy, causing her to raise a quizzical brow, "Let's talk about you. It literally feels like a decade since we've talked."

"Uhm, alright," Judy slowly retorted, "What do you want to know?"

His smirk growing, Jack responded with a mischievous glint in his eyes,

"What's going on between you and Nick?"

That question caused a cascade of feelings to churn inside of Judy's guts, feelings she wasn't quite ready to face yet, or even acknowledge at all. Ears falling limp, the bunny tried her best to sound as nonchalant as possible, which unfortunately didn't pan out like she wanted to.

"W—Wh.. What, heh... I.. uh, I don't know wh- what you're talking about!" she stammered, quickly growing flustered as her face felt like it was on fire. Her paws unconsciously stroking her ears, the bunny tried to look anywhere but at her brother.

Smirk growing, Jack turned to fully face his sister as he continued in a teasing voice,

"Come on, Judes. I can see how you two act around each other. There's some definite chemistry between you two."

"You're talking nonsense," she huffed, a forced smile on her lips, "Nick and I are just friends. That's all."

"Sure," Jack scoffed, "Friends don't look at each other like that, Judes. Don't try to deny it, I can clearly see what's going on. It's not like the two of you are being subtle about it."

That caused her to finally turn to look at him, her eyes wide as she stared in horror at him.

"What do you mean? Is it that obvious?"

Jack chuckled mirthfully as he answered, "Alright, let me put it this way. I know you can't possibly know this, but after watching you two I've noticed that the way you two look at each other is quite similar to Skye and me whenever we're alone."

If her face wasn't on fire yet, it was most definitely burning now.

"Oh sweet cheese and crackers," she groaned as she dragged her paw over her face, her ears picking up the sound of her brother laughing beside her, causing her to frown.

"This isn't funny," she harrumphed, crossing her arms.

"No, you're right," Jack chuckled, "This is hilarious. Ouch!"

That earned him a rather painful fist on his shoulder, causing him to rub the sore spot as Judy glared at him. Even though he was sure she almost broke his arm, he had to suppress a laughter as he watched his sister, how her glare eventually faltered before she let out a weary sigh.

"I don't know what I should do," she groaned, her eyes staring at her feet as she talked, "I mean, I barely know Nick at all."

Seeing genuine worry in her eyes, Jack's smirk slightly faltered, yet he gave her a supportive smile as he asked her, "Well, do you like him?"

"Of course I do," she answered, "We're friends. But that's it."

"And you're okay with that?" Jack asked.

"I... I don't know," she sighed, turning to look at Jack, "I think it's just too early to say. We're friends, and I like it this way. No need for me to cross that line, right?"

While Jack had insinuated just that, Judy actually didn't want to push any boundaries. She wasn't even aware of her own displays of affection. She had never planned this. This wasn't supposed to happen. She barely knew Nick, but still, during their short time together, she felt like she knew him all her life. She trusted him with her life, knowing very well that he did the same.

Thinking about her words for a while, Jack then answered in an understanding voice,

"I can't tell you how to feel, Judy. If you think the time isn't right, then you should definitely wait to see how this will pan out. Just keep in mind that you won't have all the time in the world. We're in a war, Judy. We don't know for sure if any of us will get out of there unharmed, or even alive.

"But if you decide that the time is right, you should tell him as soon as possible. Before we start this mission."

Considering his words silently, Judy just nodded before averting her eyes, frowning as she thought about what he had said. While she wanted nothing more than a little more time, she knew exactly that wasn't possible. They had a mission to execute, and just like Jack had said, none of them knew if they would survive this. This was a suicide mission, and she needed to make up her mind as soon as possible, before it was too late.

She was pulled out of her mulling as Jack nudged her with his elbow, causing her to turn to him as he spoke up with a light smile,

"You've got experience with firearms?"

That question caused her to raise a brow as she answered slowly,

"Uhm, yeah I guess. I was valedictorian of my class, including having the best grades in marksmanship. Why?"

"Well," Jack began, wanting to steer the conversation elsewhere, "Just like Nick and Cypher, we have to prepare ourselves too, you know? And what's a better way of preparation for a bunny from Bunnyburrow than going to a shooting range? Come on, you gotta work on using a real gun than a tranquilizer. The recoil is so much stronger..."

With that Jack stood up from his seating position as he began to walk away, leaving a rather befuddled bunny back. Shooting up from the log, Judy quickly caught up with her brother, the two of them soon continuing to walk around the premises looking for a training ground as they chatted with each other merrily. First they talked about guns and the and the recoil, then about the weather, then music, and eventually they told each other what they wanted to do in the future and about their favorite memories of their childhood together.

It felt like as if he never left, brother and sister spending some much needed time with each other.


	22. An Offer Lovers Can't Refuse

_"I don't like to drink, I don't like to think, fuck that,  
But I ponder you."  
-Daniel Caesar, Japanese Denim  
_

-o-

"Hold still, will you?"

The bunny grumbled as she glared at the sulking fox sitting in front of her. It was already way past midnight and Judy had initially planned on catching up with her sleep schedule since her last few days were quite restless to say the least. She was beyond tired, her muscles sore, and her mind running on fumes. She barely had any energy left to practice shooting with Jack earlier that day, the recoil of the guns not really helping her tired body whenever she pulled the trigger. She wasn't used to the recoil, having only used tranquilizer guns to this point. And now she was forced to babysit Nick after his training, the fox having suffered several injuries during his sparring with Cypher. She was now sitting on a couch with him in the old office room, a single lamp beside them illuminating the otherwise dark room.

"If you would stop prodding into my wounds, then I gladly will Carrots," the fox huffed as he reluctantly turned his head to face her after dodging her efforts. Judging by his slumped body, limp tail, and his snarky behavior, she could tell that the fox was just as exhausted.

Nick had spent the whole day sparring with Cypher, and it hadn't been a gleeful activity in the slightest. Unsurprisingly, engaging a fight with the huge white wolf was anything but docile. Hit after hit, kick after kick, no matter what Nick had tried, nothing could prevent him from the onslaught of attacks, the white wolf mercilessly beating him with his sheathed sword. Not once did Nick or his Familiar manage to even touch Cypher. It was nearly impossible. Even though the poor fox wasn't in the slightest condition to continue the training even after two hours, Nick wasn't ready yet to relent. Yes, it was painful and hard, Cypher's questionable training sessions were beyond exhausting, but Nick was determined to bite his way through. He had to do this. For his friends. For J-

"Oww!"

Nick let out a pained yelp, his hackles rising and causing the gray bunny to pull her paw away from his snout. She had been dragging an in alcohol soaked piece of cloth across the fur on his snout, causing the several bruises and cuts on his face to burn painfully.

"Sorry, sorry," Judy hastily apologized before she dropped her paws into her lap and heaved a sigh. She watched how Nick rubbed the spot on his snout, a frown on his face as his tail occasionally swished in agitation. Her eyes wandered down his lithe figure, her expression slightly faltering as she could clearly see the injuries. And judging by the bruises and cuts on his shoulders and arms, she was pretty sure that the rest of his body didn't fare off any better.

"Are you sure this is the best way, Nick?" she spoke up after a while, her eyes returning back to stare into his emerald ones, "I mean, all of this... those cuts and... those bruises. Consider yourself lucky you didn't break any bones!"

"I don't know, Carrots," he huffed, a sardonic smirk on his lips as he averted his eyes, "My ribs beg to differ." The fox sucked in his breath as he touched his chest, pain shooting through his body as he prodded what was most likely a bruised rib, before a gray furred paw slapped his paw away from his chest.

"Stop touching your wounds," she chided, before she regarded him with a softer tone, "At this rate you're killing yourself, Nick. Isn't there another way?"

"There's no other way to this, Carrots," Nick answered, still not looking her into the eyes as he continued to glare into space and shaking his head, "We don't have the time to consider any alternatives. This is the only way to get stronger."

She remained silent for a few moments, just watching the mess of a fox in front of her with sad eyes. She was about to retort, telling him that all of this was a dumb idea and they should think of something else to do, but much to her disdain she had to admit that Nick was right. Out of their small team, Nick and Cypher were the only ones to be a match for Mephisto. No one else had the blood of a Magnolia in them, no one else was able to cast the spells from the journal. Whether she liked it or not, Judy had to come to terms that this was the only way. They didn't have any time, they didn't know what the enemy was planning, or when they would attack. They had nothing to go on, so they were forced to move in a hurry. It was the only reasonable thing to do.

And she didn't like it one bit.

"Why do you need to get stronger so badly?" she asked in a tense tone as she glared at him, "This isn't our fight, Nick! We're only here to save Skye, and not to fight some... some magical lunatic! This is between Cypher and Mephisto, not out business!"

"Don't you think I know that already!" Nick retorted, reflexively baring his fangs as he spun around to regard the bunny, causing Judy to flinch upon seeing his predatory whites, "Do you think I _want_ to fight that maniac? Do you think I enjoy risking my life? I know very well that this isn't our fight, Fluff, but newsflash! Nothing in life ever works out the way you want it to!"

His expression softened as he continued in a low voice, seeing the initial shock in her amethysts slowly dissipating,

"I don't have any other choice but to do this, Judy. This isn't our fight, but we're in this, whether you like it or not."

Nick wasn't sure if he was too tired to care or if he was already past the point to actually realize what he's been saying, but as his next words left his mouth, it was already too late,

"I've already lost too much, Judy," the fox continued, gazing into the with concern and worry filled pools of amethyst as he gently took her paw, the bunny not resisting as she maintained eye contact, "I couldn't bear losing any of my friends. Especially not you."

Her eyes widened slightly as she took in his words, feeling his rough pawpads gently stroking the fur on her paw as he continued to look at her. She could feel her face slightly heating up as her ears slumped behind her head, her heart picking up a pace as she couldn't tear her eyes away from the enticing emeralds gazing at her. She suddenly remembered what Jack had told her earlier that day, about them not having a lot of time to spare before they eventually would engage in a fight they most likely wouldn't survive. Judy knew how she felt about Nick, she knew she liked him. Even though she didn't know him very well, she was sure she could trust him with her life. She felt safe around him, she was at ease whenever Nick was close to her. His scent, his voice, just thinking about him calmed her nerves.

With Nick, she felt at home.

The bunny swallowed the lump in her throat as she finally managed to avert her eyes, staring at their paws. Without realizing it, she had intertwined their paws, his larger brown paw grasping hers gently before she finally pulled it away, holding her paw embarrassedly to her chest. Nick must have realized as well how close he had scooted to her before he, too, averted his eyes before clearing his throat.

Face heating up considerably, Nick did his best to seem unfazed as he sat beside the bunny, his eyes darting anywhere but Judy. Reality finally settled in, the fox's heart bumping rapidly inside his chest as Nick recalled what he had just said to Judy. While it had been a vague insinuation, it was clear enough that it was impossible to miss. He could have just as well yelled into her face how much he liked her. To say Nick was embarrassed would be an understatement, but he wouldn't be the sly fox he was now if he would let her know that it got to him.

Forcing himself to relax, his body eventually slumped as he leaned back onto the couch, very well aware of the bunny beside him and her piercing glare. But as Nick began to stare into space, trying to ignore the fidgeting bunny beside him, the fox began to think about what was going on between them.

He knew that Judy wasn't a dumb bunny, and it didn't take a genius to know what he had meant earlier. And while it was a quite bold move, Judy didn't seem to be repelled by the idea. She was still sitting here beside him. And as Nick glanced at her, seeing that she was deep in thoughts as well, he couldn't see any hint of disgust in her eyes.

Did she like him as well? Could it be that she reciprocated his feelings, and the two of them were just too big of a coward to admit it to each other?

Nick knew very well that time was scarce in their current predicament. All he wanted was more time, time to think about her, time to think what was going on between them, and more time so he could properly prepare himself.

After a moment, the fox eventually made up his mind. Expression hardening and straightening himself before turning towards the bunny, Nick had decided that he wouldn't get another chance than now. He had to tell her. He had to confess. Yes, Nick Wilde the fox liked Judy Hopps the bunny. Whether it was infatuation or real love, he didn't care. All Nick knew in this moment as he gazed into her vibrant pools of amethysts, almost losing himself as he grabbed her paw and gently held it as if it was the most precious thing in the world, all he knew was that he wanted nothing more than to be with her. His bunny. His Carrots.

"J—Judy, listen," he stammered as he spoke up in a soft tone, "I know we don't have a lot of time. We're about to enter a war, and I honestly don't know if any of us survive this mess but..."

He squeezed her paw as he took a steadying breath, taking in the patient smile she gave him as she put her other paw on top of his. It actually calmed down his heart as he felt her soft touch, his body filling up with a relaxing warmth he haven't felt for a very long time.

"What is it?" Judy spoke up as Nick fell into silence, the fox seemingly having forgotten what he wanted to say as he continued to give her that adorably goofy smile. She couldn't help but to smile herself as she regarded him. She wasn't dumb, she knew very well what Nick was trying to do. Having seen it numerous times on TV and with her siblings, it was crystal clear to her that Nick was trying to make a move. And still, even though she knew what he was doing, it still made her heart race of anticipation as she felt herself slowly inching closer to him.

"...I- I'm," Nick breathed, barely aware of his surroundings anymore as his body began to move on its own, inching closer to the bunny as he held onto her paw. His mind went completely blank, having long forgotten what he wanted to say as he lost himself in her eyes, watching how her lids slowly closed shut as he followed her suit. He could feel her sweet breath tickling his nose, he could feel his heart bursting through his chest and all of the butterflies fluttering inside of him. But he didn't care.

This was their moment, and nothing could ever ruin it. And as their lips seem to be mere millimeters apart, both of them having lost themselves in their own little world, everything seemed almost perfect.

Almost.

"Hey, are you ready? We need t-"

A sudden voice and the sound of a door swinging open caused the fox and the bunny to be violently ripped out of their little bubble, the two of them jerking away from each other and sliding to either end of the couch as they tried to regain the composure, completely in vain as it seemed.

The white wolf having entered the room fell silent and just stared lazily at the two smaller mammals who were seemingly trying to hide their embarrassment behind the furious blushing as they stared with wide eyes at him.

The three of them continued to stare at each other in tense silence that was growing more and more uncomfortable by the second, none of them saying anything. While Cypher was actually completely unfazed by the situation, the two smaller mammals were literally squirming under his gaze.

Eventually Cypher decided to cut them some slack and spoke up flatly,

"When you two are finished making out, we're having a meeting in the kitchen."

With that he slammed the door closed, leaving two befuddled and beyond embarrassed mammals alone as they sat on the couch with about five feet distance between them. Neither of them dared to speak up as they avoided each other, their fur still standing on end as they stared at anything but the other.

Clearing his throat, Nick then spoke up in a coarse voice, clearly not past this,

"I- I think... I think we should g-"

"Yes! Let's!" Judy interrupted him, already off the couch before the bunny practically sprinted towards the door as she swung it open and left the room without another word, the fox following her in a slower pace as he cursed under his breath as soon as he was sure the bunny was out of hearing range,

"Dumb wolf..."

-o-

The four of them soon came together in the small cafeteria of the air hangar, sitting at the table after being called in by Cypher. It was way past midnight by now and no one except the white wolf knew as to why he had called them for a meeting, but apparently it must have been something important since Cypher insisted them to attend.

Nick and Judy were currently sitting side by side on a bench by the table while Jack and Cypher sat across from them. While bunny and fox were sitting rather close to each other, each of them tried their most not to actually touch the other, remaining a safe distance.

Jack had to stifle his laughter as he watched the two awkward mammals trying to appear nonchalant in their efforts to stay apart, but judging by their rigid bodies and fur standing on end, they were anything but. Apparently his little talk with Judy earlier that day wasn't as much in vain as he initially had thought. And as Judy glanced over at him, he smirked at her and gave her a knowing look, causing the bunny to furiously blush before turning away. That actually caused Jack to chuckle lightly, but before he could make a comment on his flustered sister, the gigantic white wolf's voice him rendered him silent as he turned to him to listen what he had to say at this time of the night,

"I've taken some time to read through the journal, and I've got some bad news and good news," Cypher began, putting the comically small journal onto the table as he talked, "Bad news is, only very few of the spells are in fact useful, the majority though is completely useless."

That caused Nick to frown as he listened to the wolf. He felt a pang of disappointment inside of him, hearing that the journal, which he thought was so crucial for them, was actually not as useful as they had initially thought. He was about to comment, but Cypher beat him to it,

"But the good news is, while Mephisto is a very powerful mammal, we're actually still able to be a match for him with the help of this journal and the few useful spells."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Jack chimed in, actually feeling hopeful as he regarded Cypher. The wolf cleared his throat before he continued, picking the journal up as he flipped through the pages.

"One of the useful spells allows the user to sacrifice an empirical sense of one's body in order to increase the Familiar's overall strength and agility," the wolf continued, "Additionally, the Familiar will lose its form and become an abstract being, just like Mephisto's."

Apparently having found the page he was looking for, the wolf set down the open journal onto the table. The two bunnies immediately jumped onto their feet as they tried to take a glimpse of the journal's content, while Nick remained seated, already familiar with the spell. While he didn't know how to cast it, he was still aware of its existence. But since the fox never saw the necessity in ever looking closer at such spells, he never bothered to learn them. Ain't it funny how things could change just like that?

"I'm willing to sacrifice my sense of smell for this cause," Cypher added determinedly, clenching his paws lightly, "Otherwise we won't stand a chance against Mephisto. I still need my eyes and ears to fight him."

"What about me?" Nick added, the fox regarding the wolf with a raised brow, "What sense should I sacrifice?"

That caused the wolf to raise his own brow before he asked flatly, "Who said you're going to do that?"

Nick just snorted upon hearing this, "You think I can't do it?"

"Oh no, I think you're very well capable of casting this spell," Cypher answered, "I just don't think you'll be able to make use of it. And judging by your training, it's going to take quite the while until you're able to."

Nick was about to angrily retort as a paw on his arm caused him to turn around to regard the glaring bunny beside him, rendering him silent,

"I'm sorry Nick, but I agree with Cypher on this," she added before pulling Nick gently back down to sit, the fox relenting wordlessly, "You're not going to maim yourself more than you already have."

Her glare softened as her paw wandered down his arm to his larger paw, the bunny frowning slightly as she looked at the stump where his finger used to be. Nick had sacrificed his finger in order to save her and Jack. He willingly maimed himself to save their hides, and Judy knew she could never make up for this. But she could at least prevent him from harming himself further.

"Let Cypher handle this, alright?"

The fox continued to glare at Judy for a short moment before his expression eventually faltered. She could still see how tense his muscles were, the fox ready to protest more, but he apparently wanted to drop the subject as he gave her a small smile before turning back to the wolf. Cypher nodded curtly before turning to Jack, the striped bunny having watched the exchange silently with attentive eyes,

"While I'm going to continue to train with Wilde, we are going to need a tactical plan, a plan that allows us to somehow get into the casino's basement and through the tunnel system in order to get to Mephisto," he stated, "I want you and Hopps to think of something while I'm busy, and I want it by tomorrow. Then we'll see what we're going to do from there on."

The four of them remained seated in silence after listening to Cypher, the three smaller mammals not exactly sure what to do. After a while, the wolf raised a brow and threw them a questioning look as if he was asking them why the hell they were still here. Finally grasping what he was trying to say, Judy jerked up from her seating position, her ears standing erect as she stuttered,

"O—Oh, you mean, like, now?"

The wolf just nodded silently.

"Okay... uhm, let's... let's go, Jack," Judy slowly said, glancing at her brother before the two of them got up from the bench. Cypher just watched them with a flat expression as the two bunnies began to pick themselves up, walking side by side as they soon left the room. The two remaining predators waited for them to disappear through the doors, their hushed whispers falling silent until the cafeteria returned to a tense silence, causing Nick to nervously turn around to regard the wolf. Much to his growing nervousness, Nick realized that Cypher was in fact watching him with a scrutinizing gaze, causing him to squirm under his piercing gaze.

The two predators continued to sit across from each other in tense silence, the larger one just staring at the smaller one, until after what seemed like an eternity, Cypher finally decided to speak up,

"Alright, Wilde," he began with a sigh, "What's going on between you and the bunny?"

That caused Nick to actually almost fall from his seat as the fox tried to regain his composure, his paws fiddling around with his tie as his ears fell flat on his head.

"W—What are you talking about, heh... t—there's nothing going...on," he stuttered, swallowing nervously as he grinned at the wolf. Much to his disdain, the wolf barely reacted. On the contrary, Cypher was completely unfazed, not a single muscle moved, not even a blink. The wolf just continued to stare at Nick, the fox' unease growing by the second as his grin faltered. Eventually Nick broke under the piercing stare as he began to raise his voice, his last resort before he would be forced to swallow his pride,

"I don't know what you're talking about!" he exclaimed, pointing a clawed digit at the unmoved wolf, "And even if there was something going on between me and Judy, which there isn't, I don't think it's any of your business, buddy!"

Cypher listened to Nick's rant patiently, not flinching back from the fox' raised voice as he waited for him to finish. As Nick fell silent, the fox only breathing heavily as his tail swished agitatedly behind him, the wolf spoke up in an even voice, much calmer than the other canine,

"If it's possibly jeopardizing this mission, then yes, it is my business," he said, causing Nick's glare to deepen.

"How the hell would it jeopardize this mission if there's something going on between me and Judy, which isn't the case, by the way!"

"Okay, listen closely," Cypher sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his broad snout, "The two of you are going to get yourselves killed. You're going to make dumb decisions that could cost both of your lives because you're not thinking clearly. Your feelings will get in the way."

"That's ridiculous," Nick snorted as he crossed his arms, "Judy and I are more than capable of taking care of ourselves. But thank you very much for your input."

He spat the last word before the fox got up from the bench with an angry huff as he began to walk away. Who did he think he was? To just barge into his private life he had no business with whatsoever! What was going on between Judy and him was their business, not Cyphers! He almost reached the door before the wolf's voice caused him to halt in his tracks, his back facing Cypher as the wolf spoke up in a calm voice,

"You know," he began, "Despite what you might think of me, I used to feel the same way about someone a long time ago."

Nick just snorted before he sneered over his shoulder with a smirk, "Oh really? You haven't always been an different asshole?"

The wolf frowned upon his comment, but decided to ignore that as he continued in a calm voice, his ruby eyes growing distant as he recalled long bygone past, "Just like you and the bunny, the two of us had feelings for each other, feelings we weren't supposed to have at that time. It was dangerous, it was dumb, but we didn't care. I loved her. I got cocky, and thought I could protect her... We were blinded by our emotions..."

Listening to the wolf, Nick noticed the sudden shift in his aura and demeanor. The usually so gruff and jaded wolf seemed to have completely changed, now a vulnerable wolf filled with sorrows and scarred by life's hardships. Flexing his paws nervously, Nick bit his lip before he silently exhaled through his nose. The fox then turned around to face the wolf, crossing his arms before he voiced his question in a low tone,

"What happened to her?"

The wolf didn't answer for a moment as he seemed to be lost in thought. Eventually he audibly inhaled, his ruby eyes focussing on Nick before he answered nonchalantly,

"She died."

This caused Nick's eyes to widen as he gauged the wolf's body language, and much to the fox' surprise, Cypher didn't seem to be very fazed by what he just said. He was still sitting stoically by the table, his paws relaxed on the table, ruby eyes glaring on Nick. The vulnerable wolf was gone, and back was the gruff assassin who didn't let anything get to him.

"She died," Cypher repeated, "Because we got careless. We were blinded by our feelings for each other, and because of that, my love for her was ultimately her death. So when I'm telling you I know what I'm talking about then I mean it."

He then grabbed the journal and got up from the bench before striding over to the fox, his eyes trained on Nick as he talked,

"Honestly, I couldn't give a single shit about what the two of you are doing in your free time. You can make out in the back room, you can hump each other like rabbits for all I care. But you are not going to let these things get in in the way of accomplishing this mission. Understood?"

While Nick was still pissed that Cypher would just butt into their lives, the fox also couldn't deny that there was a grain of truth in his words. It did make sense that Nick and Judy needed to focus on what was really important at the moment. They needed to get their priorities straight. But while Nick definitely saw the logic and reason behind all of this, he still couldn't shake off the urge to confess his feelings to the little bunny. They didn't have a lot of time left, and he would be damned to leave this world without telling her how much she meant to him.

"But I know you're most likely going to do what you want anyway," Cypher spoke up after a moment, pulling him out of his thoughts, "So let me at least offer you this."

Opening the journal and flipping through it for a moment, the wolf eventually found the page he was looking for before he looked up at the fox with a meaningful expression.

"Look at this spell closely, and memorize it. Even though you're probably not going to need it, consider it at least as some kind of insurance."

Intrigued about what Cypher was talking about, the fox cautiously took the journal into his paws as his emeralds fell onto the worn pages. Immediately Nick recognized the familiar page, having flipped through it already several times during his past, his paws clenching around the booklet as he stared at the spell. It was a dangerous spell, a spell that could cost him his life if he wasn't careful, but Nick knew exactly what Cypher was trying to tell him, he knew exactly what the risks of this spell were. And if the fight they were about to have was anything to go by, then Nick would gladly memorize this spell. For her sake.

"Fine," Nick answered, "I'll do it. For her."

That seemed to satisfy Cypher as the wolf just nodded curtly before he rounded the fox to move towards the doors. Nick followed him with his gaze, the journal still gripped tightly in his paws as he listened to the wolf talking over his shoulder, not turning around as he reached the door,

"Take your time to study it. When you're done, be ready for the next round. I'll be waiting downstairs."

With that the wolf left the cafeteria, not waiting for an answer as he left the fox standing alone in the dimly lit room. Emeralds falling back onto the journal as he glanced over the worn yellow pages, Nick could gradually feel the determination rising inside of him. He needed to get stronger, yes. He still had a lot to work on in order to protect his friends. But Nick also knew that no mother how hard he would work, no matter how strong he would eventually get, he could never be completely sure what would happen during this fight.

But with this spell, the universe was finally giving back. He received a second chance. He received the chance to save his friends.

To save her.

**Author's Note:**

> That's all for now! Please be so kind and leave a review and comment! I'll try to answer questions, if there are any without spoiling too much, but I appreciate critique just as much!


End file.
